Mosley-Ecclestone war continues

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has denied in an interview with the British newspaper 'The Times' that he was involved in the revelations on Max Mosley. In March the newspaper 'News of the World' published an article including details of a five-hour bondage session of the FIA President with five prostitutes.

The Mosley camp has always said that the FIA President was the victim of a “covert investigation” of his private life by a “group specialising in such things, for reasons and clients as yet unknown”. The last few weeks, they have hinted that Ecclestone would be the one behind the revelations. Although he has adviced Mosley to step down as FIA President, Ecclestone denies to have anything to do with the revelations.

Bernie declared to 'The Times': “It has nothing in the world to do with me in any shape or form. Secondly, this sort of thing is not my style not the sort of way I would operate. Thirdly, there is no way in the world that I would want to destroy Max. To suggest I would want to do that is such a lot of b****cks, quite frankly it’s not true.”

Mosley and Ecclestone have been friends for years, but the last few weeks the 'cold war' between them is on the verge of escalating.

Tomorrow, a meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council is scheduled in Paris and it is believed that Mosley will recommend that the FIA should no longer negotiate with Ecclestone as long as he doesn't agree to give the teams more of the sport's revenues.

Ecclestone however remains optimistic under the threat of a huge loss of income: “I’m sure if that happened, the European Commission would move in. Under the agreement with the European Commission, the FIA are the regulators of the sport - like the police - and Formula One Management are the commercial rights holders. The money doesn’t belong to Max, it doesn’t belong to him to touch."