Mosley exit brings new intrigue

Eurosport - Thu, 25 Jun 15:38:00 2009

Controversy and intrigue go hand in hand with Formula One and Max Mosley's exit will not end that, even if the sport can hope for a less turbulent future.

FORMULA 1 2009 Max Mosley - 0

Mosley, who will stand down as president of the governing International Automobile Federation in October while relinquishing immediately his day to day involvement in Formula One, has said he can depart knowing that the sport is set for peace and stability.

While the teams and FIA have put behind them the most serious crisis in the championship's 60-year existence with a breakthrough agreement on Wednesday, peace is a relative concept.

There will always be flare-ups and arguments, even without the damaging bickering of recent weeks which threatened to alienate so many fans.

Mosley's promised exit will bring down the curtain on the "Max and Bernie Show", a long-running double act with Formula One's commercial supremo and fellow Briton Bernie Ecclestone which has been behind much of the paddock friction.

However, in a sport as competitive and fast-moving as Formula One, it is only a matter of time before the next dispute comes along even if the technical rules remain stable until 2013 and the governance is more consensual.

Ecclestone, with no designated successor, will be 79 this year and the current teams have still to sign a long-term commercial agreement with him. Mosley's heir has also yet to be found.

There are some considerable egos around, on and off the track, as well as intense rivalries.

"The sport itself is intrinsically controversial, unstable, political," said one senior team source, recalling the days before Mosley when Jean-Marie Balestre ruled the FIA.

"I think it is the nature of Formula One that creates this situation."

The unity of the teams has been critical in securing what they wanted off the racetrack and that may not be so apparent once a new commercial agreement is signed.

In the short term, the FIA Senate will oversee Formula One under the leadership of Monaco's Michel Boeri but Mosley will remain a member of that body with considerable influence.

It will not be a case of Boeri running the show. Former Ferrari team boss Jean Todt, no stranger to controversy at the Italian team, is the name most often heard as Mosley's most likely replacement.

There are some, even now, unwilling to believe Mosley will not somehow manage a comeback.

"Only when I see the stake through his heart," the Times newspaper quoted one team principal as saying after Wednesday's announcement.

By ending the immediate threat of a rival series, both sides have broken a logjam and paved the way to a new, leaner future for the sport as well as one that hopes to give the fans a better show.

Mosley and the Formula One Teams Association have agreed to reduce costs within two years to the levels of the early 1990s, when a team like Benetton could win a championship on around $50 million a year.

That will mean heavy job cuts, or at least a relocation of staff where the teams are owned by manufacturers, as well as making the sport financially viable.

"Now everyone can look forward to a bright future where they can make good profits," said Mosley on Wednesday.

With a rival series being threatened, some teams had complained that the uncertainty had put sponsorship deals on hold or into jeopardy.

"Nobody is able to progress on the commercial front today because of the uncertainty," Ross Brawn, whose championship-leading team still lack a title sponsor, said recently.

The driver merry-go-round, usually a source of steady speculation at this time of year, has also been stalled until now with nobody able to commit until they knew who was racing where and under what rules.

Williams and Force India are likely to rejoin FOTA, having been suspended after siding with the FIA, while the three new teams can reassure potential sponsors that they will be competing against the likes of Ferrari and McLaren.

Reuters

Comment 33 - 52 of 72

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  1. Totally agree. SOB_SCUNNER….With the dictator consigned­ to history. F1 one still has one more thing to do to­ get its house in order. Sack Alan Donnelly, the Mosley­ bagman/lapdog who¬ has contributed immensely to the­ current situation

    From JAYANTILAL, on Sat 27 Jun 9:24PM
  2. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    dont you mean a "empty minded" girl from the­ UK

    From Francis S, on Sat 27 Jun 7:59PM
  3. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    hang on for just one second site angle. i happen to­ like burt an harley boy an marnio an potter. all you do­ is prance a round thumbing them down . who made you god­ . sounds like you got moslyitis. dictator

    From Francis S, on Sat 27 Jun 7:57PM
  4. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Im not a muppet site angel , I can do the nunchaku.

    From brucef1lee, on Sat 27 Jun 5:42PM

  5. I am the site Angel and I thumb down muppets. On this­­ page I have thumbed down the following muppets:­­ potter, Mr Wooey Fooey, marnio from peru, burt and­­ pitcrew66.

    These muppets are all greater than 80 on­­ the touronroute muppet scale.

    The tounronroute on­ this­ page is not the gormless one but somebody faking­ it.

    From Site Angel, on Sat 27 Jun 5:32PM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    mad max pervert racist OAp NEVER keeps a­ PROMISE

    Just seeks a chance "" TO STAB YOU­ IN THE BACK""

    From pitcrew66, on Sat 27 Jun 5:15PM

  7. A question often asked of me is why don't I write­­ some new posts and not just post the same old Potter,­­ Bernard, Marion and Marnio posts? Its a good question­­ and I suppose the answer is that I am a sad old woman­­ who has nothing better to do and not only that but­ these posts take me­ days and days to write simply­ because I am so stupid. Fater all that when I post­ them­ then you lot unkindly thumb them all down so I­ have to keep re-posting­ them, its all I have left in­ life.

    I wish I could contribute something positive but­ I cant the only interest I have in F1 is hate for­ anyone of black skin. I use Potter, Bernard, Marnio­ etc to express my racism.

    From Jeanette 'No Mates' Bolan, on Sat 27 Jun 5:07PM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    ita a shame the a way a F1 isa now going ita seem to­­ a­­ start once a mr a hamilton asun a joined muclaren­­ from­­ a dirty a tactics onna track thena to the a­­ Spyagate­­ anda then a Lieagate anda witha corrupt a­­ stewards­ anda­ keep a changin a rules a F1 asa never­ a­ been same­ a­ since.. itta nowa a farce a since a mr­ a­ hamilton­ asun­ arrived ata muclaren they are a now­­ tarnished­ asa­ biggest a Cheat anda mr a hamilton­ asun­ with a­ fake a­ phoney Cheating a title itta­ couldnt a­ got any­ a worse­ mea think a why a FIA want­ anda keep­ a changin­ the­ rules after a spyagate anda­ lieagate­ toa bring the­ a­ JUSTICE a back to the a­ Tracks­
    BUTTON THE A NEW­ KING­ OFA F1........F1­ WORLD­ CHAMPION­ 2009-2010....JENSON A­ BUTTON

    From , on Sat 27 Jun 1:31PM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    a max a mosley a just like a muppet a gordon­ brown­­­­­­ willa run a F1 into the a ground before hea­ leave­ a­­­­­ like brown a done toa britain mistake­ after a­­­ mistake­­­ anda lies a after a lies but a­ still hea­­­ will a nota­­­ GO..me a also stilla not a­ sure a who­­­ the a uglyier a­­ me a potter ora­ stunning a jeanette a also a site a angel a more a­ muppet thana mr a hamilton asun i

    From , on Sat 27 Jun 1:25PM
  10. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    a max a mosley a just like a muppet a gordon­ brown­­­­­­ willa run a F1 into the a ground before hea­ leave­ a­­­­­ like brown a done toa britain mistake­ after a­­­ mistake­­­ anda lies a after a lies but a­ still hea­­­ will a nota­­­ GO..me a also stilla not a­ sure a who­­­ the a uglyier a­­ me a potter ora­ stunning a jeanette a also a site a angel a more a­ muppet thana mr a hamilton asun i

    From , on Sat 27 Jun 1:24PM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    a max a mosley a just like a muppet a gordon­ brown­­­­­­ willa run a F1 into the a ground before hea­ leave­ a­­­­­ like brown a done toa britain mistake­ after a­­­ mistake­­­ anda lies a after a lies but a­ still hea­­­ will a nota­­­ GO..me a also stilla not a­ sure a who­­­ the a uglyier a­­ me a potter ora­ stunning a jeanette a also a site a angel a more a­ muppet thana mr a hamilton asun i

    From , on Sat 27 Jun 1:24PM
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    a PROMISE delivered by OAP sex pervert mad max just­ === ""a STAB IN THE BACK "" ­ later

    From pitcrew66, on Sat 27 Jun 3:02AM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Elro, tonight I go to pub and I drink, drink drink.­­ Today it my boss birthday.
    I not like my boss, he call­­ me Mr Foo and he keep saying "ah so" to­­ me.
    Because I drink too much I say "flock you­­ @#$%, your wife is the mother of 50 brasterds and your­­ wife is the promistitute. He try to punch me,
    so I do­­ my Bruce Lee moves on him and chop chop chop on his­­ head. Then i karate kick him but he jump up with the­­ sword. I say "nakisakimoko,
    your wife is the­ derty­ leeesban with hole like deep tunnel and I kung­ fu with­ him till he go to hospital.
    Now I rest with­ grass­ hopper.
    I velly drink, you fooking shipbags.

    From Mr Wooey Fooey, on Sat 27 Jun 2:06AM
  14. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    hello my f1 lonely chaps, it your friend marnio­ from­­­­ the peru.
    hurrah, the great sir mr mosely has­ yet­­­ again­ saved the f1.
    he is the greatest of the­ all­­­ time.
    now­ you bow to him for what he has done.­ he­­ your­ master and­ you the pigs squealing on this­ blog­­ aroun d­ his feet.­ never forget that he­ richer,­­ brighter, have­ the better­ girlfriends than­ all you­­ little rats put to­ the­ tegether. he the­ king of f1­­ and you not fit to­ wipe his­ bottom when­ he have the­­ plop plop..#

    now the f1 poem

    mr mosely­ is the king­ of­ the formula­­ one
    and the posters on­ this blog not­ the­ fit to wipe­­ his bum
    you all need­ to get the­ life
    stop­ wonking and­­ find the wife
    and­ maybe the­ schite from­ your mouth­ will­ stop to the­ come.

    From marnio from peru, on Sat 27 Jun 1:07AM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    a site a angel a sada thana me anda a stunning a­ jeanette spending a all a day a thumbing a down ...a­ what a muppet i

    From , on Fri 26 Jun 10:27PM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    a site a angel a sada thana me spending a all a day a­ thumbing a down ...a what a muppet i

    From , on Fri 26 Jun 10:23PM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    a max a mosley a just like a muppet a gordon brown­­­­­­ willa run a F1 into the a ground before hea leave­ a­­­­­ like brown a done toa britain mistake after a­­­ mistake­­­ anda lies a after a lies but a still hea­­­ will a nota­­­ GO..me a also stilla not a sure a who­­­ the a uglyier a­­ me a potter ora stunning a jeanette

    From , on Fri 26 Jun 10:19PM

  18. GET RID OF MAX AND LITTLE BERNIE THEN MAYBE F1 MIGHT­ LOOK LIKE A "sport" again and not a cash cow­ that bernie and co like to milk.god they make me angry.

    From CAROLYN, on Fri 26 Jun 8:48PM

  19. I am the site Angel and I thumb down muppets. On this­ page I have thumbed down the following muppets:­ harleyboy, potter, marnio from peru, burt and­ pitcrew66.

    These muppets are all greater than 80 on­ the touronroute muppet scale.

    The tounronroute on this­ page is not the gormless one but somebody faking it.

    From Site Angel, on Fri 26 Jun 6:24PM
  20. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    the jackboot stomping facist will stay,the hamster­ slapping will continue.

    From Burt, on Fri 26 Jun 4:11PM
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