I sincerely hope that it isn't a declaration of war - Ecclestone

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has reacted to a letter of Max Mosley to the national automobile clubs last week. Ecclestone declared in the British newspaper 'The Times' that he will defend his corner in the battle for the future of the sport if FIA president Max Mosley wants a fight over it.

Bernie Ecclestone said: "I sincerely hope that it isn't a declaration of war because, if that's what the message should be, then we'll have to defend ourselves. That is what anyone would do. I don't believe that's what Max wanted the letter to say. I don't want to have a war with Max. I hope he doesn't want one with me.

"This whole business is really about what was printed in the News of the World and whether this in any way damaged the FIA clubs or the FIA - that's all.

"It's nothing to do with anything else and I don't quite know why he's come out and said these things. I am sorry if the press have reported things which he doesn't like, but we certainly don't have any influence over the FIA."

Ecclestone revealed that CVC will write a letter to the automobile clubs themselves to set the record straight. "We have decided we are going to contact all the clubs who Max wrote to, with a reply to the matters raised in his letter.

"I think the General Assembly of the FIA was called for one reason only - to decide whether or not they think Max is the right person to be their president. The vote will be on that, not about the Concorde Agreement."