Ed Gorman has an interesting article regarding a statement Mr. Ecclestone made about Max’s exposure and who may have been involved.As has been rumored, mainly from Max’s camp, there is some question as to if this sex escapade was a set up to destroy Max’s reputation. some have hinted it could have been Bernie in order to weaken Max’s position during Concorde Agreement negotiations.
To be honest, I have never seen anything that would indicate this was Bernie’s style (as he points out in Ed’s story) and I can’t imagine it being something Bernie would be interested in. He is a shrewd operator and fully capable of negotiating multi-billion dollar contracts just fine and without skulduggery. What may be of more interest to you is some of the comments Bernie made regarding Max and the Concorde Agreement. In fairness to Ed, I won’t paraphrase or quote. You can read the article at the above link. It is interesting to note that Bernie dilutes the position many have suggested Max will take in tomorrow’s WMSC meeting. Even suggesting that the money in question is not Max’s to give or take.
Ultimately the FOM Concorde Agreement and commercial rights are the revenue stream that everyone wants a part of. This includes Max and the FIA. The clubs that voted for Max also need the F1 revenue as they are benefactors of the FIA’s prosperity. Much has been made of Max’s political mind and posturing. The recent vote of confidence corroborates that reputation. I suspect Bernie’s is a greater reputation and much more cunning operator who has not one but many arrows in his quiver. In fact, cheap, tawdry sex scandals seem low-brow to me in light of what I suspect Bernie has in store for Max.
