A final whip-round for Mosley
Leaving presents are sensitive matters at the best of times, so Britain’s motor racing correspondents had to be at their most diplomatic when selecting the right gift for Max Mosley’s retirement as president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the governing body of Formula One.
What should one get the man who, until he was revealed to have taken part in a fetishistic sex party with five prostitutes, was the respected arbiter of F1 rules for 16 years? They got him a brown leather whip, costing £150, from the Queen’s whipmaker, Swaine Adeney Brigg. It was presented last night at a restaurant in Monza, Italy, where the Grand Prix takes place this weekend. “He has a mischievous sense of humour, so we think he will find it funny,” one said. “At least, we hope he will, otherwise we’re in big trouble.”