When Max Mosley won his legal case against the News of the World following it's exposure of certain aspect of his personal life, the after effect on the British media was described as a "dark day for British freedom". Funny then, that the man who only a year ago was taking on the media head-on, is now attempting to use it in what many see as his fight for survival.

Given his previous form it might not be so strange that Mosley has chosen to run to the media in an effort to tell his side of the row that is threatening to destroy the sport, however, what is strange is that the Daily Mail, a newspaper which claims to represent middle England, upholds traditional family values, despises liberalism and who editor, Paul Dacre, was at the forefront last year, calling for the FIA President's head at the height of the sex orgy row, is prepared to give him a public platform, just one year later.

In an exclusive interview with the British tabloid, Mosley, referring to comments made by members of FOTA last Wednesday - and echoed around the world by sections of the media and countless hundreds of thousands of fans - accused the teams' alliance of "dancing on his grave", a soundbite worthy of a headline.

'They made the mistake of dancing on my grave before I was buried,' said the Englishman. 'It's no good the teams getting a PR agency to claim I am dead and buried when I am standing here as large as life. I am under pressure now from all over the world to stand for re-election.

"I don't actually want to," he continues. "I feel I am a little bit too old. When I started I was old enough to be the father of the younger Formula One drivers; now I am old enough to be the grandfather of some of those driving today. Although I don't feel old, I must seem very old to them. It definitely needs somebody new from that point of view. Generally, when you have done something for 16 years, as I have done, it's about time to stop. You get a little bit stale.

"I do genuinely want to stop," he protests - just a little too much. "But if there is going to be a big conflict with the car industry, for example, with the FOTA teams, then I won't stop. I will do whatever I have to do. It's not in my nature to walk away from a fight."

Asked about the comment made over the British Grand Prix weekend, when he referred to certain team bosses as loonies, Mosley replied: "That was in the context of saying there are two wings to FOTA. "There are moderates from Brawn, McLaren, possibly Red Bull and BMW; then there are the extremists - Ferrari, Renault and Toyota. I could have called them ultras, but loonies sounded better and made us laugh."

While ignoring the fact that many, not least organizations and charities dealing with mental health issues, might find the use of the word "loony" as insulting and far from funny, Mosley takes great offence at Luca di Montezemolo's claim that he is a dictator.

"By going home to Italy and telling the Italian media that they had toppled the dictator, di Montezemolo has tried to make it sound like I sit here and just decide what's going to happen,' said Mosley. 'It's absolutely not true. I can't do anything unless the WMSC agree and there are 26 members, mostly presidents of important motor sport clubs from all over the world. All these rules that I am supposed to have dictated have been voted on by those people. To say that I run a dictatorship is nonsense.