Jul.1 (GMM) Max Mosley was invited to Wednesday’s key meeting of the Strategy Group in London, The Times newspaper reports.
But the former FIA president “refused, believing that his presence would cause ructions,” according to correspondent Kevin Eason.
One reason for that is because the meeting will also be attended by Mosley’s successor Jean Todt, who is coming under fire for remaining ‘invisible’ while the rest of the sport acknowledges it must change urgently to stop an exodus of fans.
Ahead of Wednesday’s meeting, Red Bull boss Christian Horner said: “We need to have progress.
“It is an important meeting. F1 is at a critical stage.”
It is at former ‘critical stages’ that Briton Mosley, remembered for being far more confrontational and proactive than the low-profile Todt, might have acted.
“He has been through more crises than any of us can remember and has clear sight of what to do,” a source said. “The Strategy Group is clueless and there is nothing coming from the FIA, so why not hear what Max has to say?”
Frenchman Todt, however, denies that he is sitting idly as F1 crumbles around him.
“People complain that I am a silent, invisible president,” he said. “It is a completely wrong and false analysis to say that formula one is in such a bad shape.
“That does not mean nothing needs to be done. To get agreement in formula one probably the most difficult thing I have seen.”
But an increasing number of stakeholders, not least Bernie Ecclestone himself, are arguing that the F1 supremo and Todt already wield enough votes to push through changes in Wednesday’s meeting.
“I think the problem Jean has is he’s trying to keep a lot of camps happy,” Horner said at a Red Bull event on Tuesday.
“And inevitably that’s an impossible thing to do. I think he needs to do what’s best for the sport rather than what’s best for certain teams.”
So pressing has the issue become that even Donald Mackenzie, of F1’s owner CVC, has reportedly made an ultra-rare public statement about the need for change.
The Telegraph’s Daniel Johnson said Mackenzie this week called for “urgent changes” ahead of the Wednesday meeting.