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

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  1. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    as we have experienced earlier

    a PROMISE from OAP­ pervert max is as good as ~~~ " A STAB IN THE ­ BACK .. !""""

    From pitcrew66, on Fri 26 Jun 3:05PM
  2. Mosley exit? I'll believe it when I see it!

    From gegaard, on Fri 26 Jun 1:13PM
  3. 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 11:02AM
  4. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    ferrari are forth in the contsructors champ,,that means­ there are for teams that have been cheating.

    From Touronroute, on Fri 26 Jun 9:06AM
  5. Even though I am a Ferrari fan, with Jean Todt as the­ new FIA president will make me feel uncomfortable­ too.

    Does he still have any tie with­ Ferrari?

    Honestly speaking. Can we really find someone­ who won't be bias toward certain team or certain­ nationality?

    From ferraribeng, on Fri 26 Jun 7:54AM
  6. Post 9, superspex, you've got it right. Max is a­ joke that we don't need and Bernie should leave­ with him. I still don't think Mad Max will leave­ until he's dragged away kicking and screaming.

    From sky, on Fri 26 Jun 5:40AM
  7. NO F@@KING WAY!!!!!!! Think having Todt in charge will­ impress fans other than Fartrari fans????? How can a­ man bias to a team like­ Fartrari take over and be­ independant???? How can he NOT be bias???? This whole­ sorry saga is pathetic. Just when I had hope that the­ sport I loved was going to be saved, the teams folded­ like a pack of cards giving Sir Spanksalot just want he­ wanted. You can't even trust him to leave as he­ will still have his fingers in the pie that is F1! I am­ officially done with F1!!!!!!!!

    From bad sales, on Fri 26 Jun 5:10AM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    the hamster slapping continues.

    From Burt, on Fri 26 Jun 2:09AM
  9. i think they should call it ferrari 1 as everything­ seems to revolve around what they want and not what is­ good for the sport
    pete b

    From bartonpeterb, on Fri 26 Jun 1:24AM
  10. 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 it is not to be, all I am capable of doing is ruining­ this site.

    From Jeanette 'No Mates' Bolan, on Thu 25 Jun 11:55PM
  11. 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..

    From marnio from peru, on Thu 25 Jun 10:52PM
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    hello my f1 lonely chaps.

    these are the things i like­­ most about the f1
    1)the ferrari
    2)the fit ladys on the­­ grid with the umberella
    3)the big crashes
    4)sir max­­ mosely
    5) mr ecclestone
    these the things i not like­­ about the f1
    1) the mclaren men - they the liar the­­ cheat and the crook - good they get lapped every race­­ now.
    2)mr hamilton son - he not lie straight in the­­ bed
    3)mr glock - he naughty man who fix the last­ season­ championship.
    4)mr ronald dennis - he balding­ gentleman­ who steal the ferrari secrets which almost­ finish the­ ferrari.
    5) mr hamiltons father - he be on­ the next­ "im the celbritity, get me out of­ here."
    (oh,­ i nearly the forgot, i not like some­ of the worms who­ post the nonsense on this blog.)

    From marnio from peru, on Thu 25 Jun 10:40PM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    mr hamiltons son say he stay with­­ mclaren men for­­­­­ life. that nice for him but what do­­ mclaren men­­­ say?­­ you see mclaren is now german owned.­­ the­­­ parent­­ company is the mercedes benz which is the­­­­­ german.­ the­ engine is the german engine.­­ everything­­­ about­ the­ team is the german. mr­­ hamiltons son now­ the­­­ swiss­ gentleman he eat much­­ cheese and sings in­ the­­­ morning­ at mountains. mr­­ hamiltons father is­ also­ now­­ the­ swiss man. in­­ fact there nothing­ british­ about­ this­­ team at­ all.­ even the man who­ tidy up the­ garage­­ after­­ the race­ has moved to­ switzerland with­ his­­­ mother.­­ switzerland is owned­ by the german. my­­­ friends­ the­­ whole team is GERMAN­ - and guess what­ -­­ so is mr­­ glock.­ now you see why­ the time stand­ still­­ for mr­­ glock on­ the last lap.­ like he in­ the time­­ warp.­ not­ even the­ people­ abducted by­ the alien lose­­ the­ amount­ of time he­­ lost on that­ last lap. IT IS A­­­ DISGRACE!!!­ ANOTHER­­ CHEATIN­ YEAR IN 2009 FROUM­­­ MCLAREN AND CHEATIN­­ BASHIN­ MR­ HAMILTONS SON ....mr­ a­­ hamilton asun the­ bigger a­ cheat

    From , on Thu 25 Jun 10:12PM
  14. 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 Thu 25 Jun 10:09PM
  15. 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 Thu 25 Jun 10:04PM
  16. 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 Thu 25 Jun 10:04PM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    GREAT NEWS........ Goodbye and so long. Hope we never­­ hear from you again. let's try this again. just­ below, at #4 I stated the same thread, u jerk offs gave­ me thumbs down as if I care. The illiterate asrse hole­ bastardos inbred drunks can go fk themselves. There,­ now I feel 100% better. I really don't care how­ most of you feel.

    From harleyboy, on Thu 25 Jun 8:32PM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    If Todt ends up as head of FIA there will be no hope of­ Ferrari's special treatment coming to an end. I­ hope this crisis has led to the other teams insisting­ that Ferrari get the same financial deal as the rest. ­ After all, Ferrari were complaining the loudest of all­ that there was a two tier system being brought into­ play: but there always has been, with the Maranello mob­ getting a better deal and convenient interpretations of­ rules all along the way.
    Now there's a chance to­ have a level playing field.

    From colourblindfan, on Thu 25 Jun 7:35PM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    The headmaster is one day gone and chaos starts already­ in the classroom ;-)))

    From Ape, on Thu 25 Jun 7:00PM
  20. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Gloria Gaynor said it best..

    Max

    Go on now go
    walk­ out the door
    just turn around now
    'cause you're­ not welcome anymore
    weren't you the one who tried­ to hurt me with goodbye
    Did you think I'd­ crumble
    Did you think I'd lay down and die
    Oh no,­ not I
    I will survive
    as long as i know how to love
    I­ know I'll stay alive
    I've got all my life to­ live
    I've got all my love to give
    and I'll­ survive
    I will survive (hey hey)

    From Briatore, on Thu 25 Jun 6:52PM
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