Like many involved in motorsport I was taken aback last night with the news David Leslie and Richard Lloyd had been killed in the Kent plane crash. They were both well respected and very much liked people in the paddock.
I had the pleasure of meeting David back in his touring car days and as many people are remembering today, he was always amiable and a great ambassador for the sport. I'd never met Richard but his reputation as a good guy went before him. His team races in the same series as one of the teams I work with and I know everyone in the series is shocked and will feel the loss of a great paddock character. Also the news a young engineer, Chris Allarton, died with them is tremendously sad; a young guy at the start of his career in a great sport. The two pilots also proved themselves to be real heroes. A tragedy all round.
Whilst motorsport woke up this morning, still shaken by the loss another story was being bounded around and frankly it was a case of going from the sublime to the ridiculous.
FIA President Max Mosley was featured in a tabloid sex scandal on Sunday and now some people are calling for his resignation. Now, many say it is too salacious to discuss the matter.
Damn my low resistance level to salacious gossip.
"Mosley in Nazi Sex Orgy". Now if you think Mosley and Nazi have been seen together before, indeed, Max is the offspring of Oswald Mosley and Diana Mitford. Hitler was present at their wedding. And to think some people are embarrassed by dotty old aunts on their wedding photos.
The tabloid story says a video shows Mr M (or perhaps Mr S&M would be more appropriate) and 5 prostitutes in Chelsea torture chamber partaking in a bit of role play with one being the Nazi officer and the other a camp inmate. The Times write that part of this role play included Mr M allowing himself to be "subjected to a humiliating inspection for lice". I bet he found nit nurse day at school erotic...
Bernie Ecclestone reportedly said " Knowing Max it might be all a bit of a joke. You know, it’s one of those things where he’s sort of taking the piss"
Surely the furthest you can take the piss with Nazis is a quick chorus of 'Springtime for Hitler' - do you really need the hookers?
When I wrote for Recorded For Training Purposes, the main gist was taking the piss out of modern life, especially parts of the media. When I sat and tried to think of what to write I didn't hire a group of male escorts dressed as Melvyn Bragg and get them to beat me across my bare arse with a copy of the Radio Times. Perhaps I would have been more successful if I had...
Some will say what you get up to in the privacy of your own torture chamber is your own business and they have a point. Nevertheless when you are in a position of authority and have the surname Mosley perhaps entertaining yourself with Nazi uniform clad prostitutes (allegedly blah blah blah) isn't the best use of your leisure time. "I vill spanken ze bottom mein Herr"
Either way it is a very seedy and distasteful distraction at a time when we are mourning some decent and inspiring people in motorsport.
