Old Spanky

Incredibly, Max Mosley is making noises about staying on for a further term as head of the FIA. Apparently, the job is too big for any other mere mortal.

This, of course, is the man who:

- Insisted that Indy '05 be run as a total farce, when it so easily could have been remedied. This caused the world's biggest car market to drop out of Formula One.

- Raised the costs of F1 by imposing a mandatory switch to V8s. Did he really believe that the great expense of Formula One was because they were using too many pistons?

- Chased away one of the sport's most committed and competitive sponsors: Michelin

- Has not said one word to try to keep the sport in its traditional venues, which are still amongst its biggest markets: France, US, Canada, Italy, Germany, and instead has smiled away as races were taken to such mass-car-buying hotspots as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, and Singapore.

- Allowed his pal Bernie to cash out and put the commercial rights in the hands of marginal operators with no motor sport experience or commitment. Then, when they went bust, he allowed that to happen a second time! This may, or may not have something to do with the multi-million dollar payment Max received from Bernie a few years ago.

- Brought the sport into disrepute through a despicable personal attack on Jackie Stewart, one of the sports greatest ambassadors, a survivor of an age when 300 drivers died, and a 3 times world champion.

- And last - but not least - disgraced himself and brought deep embarrassment to the sport through his personal debauchery. And when he was found out, instead of quietly stepping aside, he undertook a totally selfish, highly visible campaign to cling to his job - despite many calls for him to resign, including one from HONDA - which induced all of the sport's investors to ask whether they wanted to be associated with an organisation headed by such a dubious, tainted character.

What a great guy.

SS7