Mosley says 2007 was brilliant

[Wizzo]

Max Mosley says the 2007 Formula One season was a "brilliant" one, even with the McLaren-Ferrari spy scandal dominating the headlines for much of the summer.

"Fascinating and very exciting," the FIA president tells the Guardian newspaper. "Right down to the last few laps, which is what it should be."

Mosley admits that what emerged from the spy scandal was not very pleasant. But in a way, the increased media coverage it brought to the sport was a good thing.

"People are interested in the human aspect," Mosley said. "And the whole human aspect of the Ferrari-McLaren thing fascinated a lot of people outside Formula One. The publicity actually increases interest. So I don't think it does any harm to Formula One as long as the sponsors and so on feel the sport is honestly run and honestly governed."

While Mosley still maintains that both Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso should have been banned as part of the penalty handed down to McLaren, he was glad to see that, in the end, Kimi Raikkonen prevailed.
 
"Relieved because, if it had been either of the two McLaren drivers, there would always have been a question mark. I'm not sure how big a question mark but it would have been there. I think we've been very lucky."

Mosley says he finds it "extremely improbable" that McLaren boss Ron Dennis didn't know what was going on within the team despite his constant denials.

"We found out that what they told us wasn't true. If, when Ron learnt about it, he had just called Jean Todt and said, 'Listen, you've got to know about Stepney,' we'd never even have heard about it.

"The next opportunity was when they got caught with all the documents, and he should have just come to the world council and said, 'Look, I'm really sorry, a few of my people know about it and I'm going to eradicate it.' There would have been a very modest fine and maybe a few points at the most and it would all have been over."

As for accusations that he and the FIA have it in for Dennis and McLaren, Mosley says that perception is not entirely correct.

"I quite like him," says Mosley. "But I do despise - I think that's probably the right word - his attitude to formula one, when he says, for example, that he's passionate about formula one. That's not true. He's passionate about McLaren finishing first and second in every race, which is his job, but it's not the same thing as being passionate about formula one and it's foolish to pretend that it is."

[romephius]

Love Max or hate him (and I know most people hate him), I completely agree with Max that 2007 was the best year on track for quite a while.  For the final race, I was away for work at the sunshine coast, I got up at 2:30 in the morning simply to watch the race, within the first 10 seconds of the race I was jumping up and down in giddy excitement at the thought that Kimi had gotten in front of the McLarens, by the end of the race I had realised Kimi had done enough at the front and the McLarens were perfectly placed for Kimi to take the title.

As for the spying scandle, I don't think any sane person would agree with what happened, but it's over now so all we can do is hope the 2008 season is just as exciting on track without the same sort of off track drama.

Rom

[johnbull]

Max Mosley says the 2007 Formula One season was a "brilliant" one,

He would, wouldn't he.

He had another outburst a Jackie Stewart recently. Whilst Stewart commented in the politest and most diplomatic way about his views of the present state of F1, Max couldn't even do that. Instead he burst into another tirade of personal insults.

It's getting a bit past the joke.

[FW14B]

Max is single handedly bring F1 into disrepute.  His comments are absurd and insulting.  Whilst 2007 was an amazing season, he should avoid going near it as we know if he had his way the McLaren drivers would have lost their points so it would have been a very dull Ferrari 1-2.

[raindancer]

why get into a situation where you have to lose points ?

[Alianora La Canta]

Ask Coughlan, de la Rosa and Alonso. As they are the only three the WMSC proved had broken the rules, they are presumably the only three who can answer that question in respect to the McLaren situation.

For all the on-track excitement in 2007, it would have been a lot better if Max Mosely hadn't missed so many opportunities to keep his mouth shut.

[johnbull]

For all the on-track excitement in 2007, it would have been a lot better if Max Mosely hadn't missed so many opportunities to keep his mouth shut.

I couldn't agree more.

I vote that one quote of the month.

[cosworth151]

This could have been one of the best seasons in a long time, if the FIA would have been at least a little even handed. Ferrari and McLaren were VERY close to each other in speed, and Kimi, Hamilton and Alonso would have made it a classic.

One of the best things that could happen to F1 is a minimum of Max.

Cos