At a time when many serious journalists would dearly love to sit down and put their questions to FIA president Max Mosley regarding various issues facing Formula One, the FIA has put out a press release in which Mr Mosley answers questions that the FIA itself has put to him (!)

We say 'serious' journalists, because many accredited journos refuse to put Mosley, Bernie or indeed anyone else under pressure for fear of losing their passes. Such is the state of contemporary F1.

Why did you make a deal just with Ferrari and FOM and not with anyone else?
Max Mosley: "We have said that we are prepared to renew the Concorde Agreement from 2008. We would have preferred to have no Concorde Agreement and to regulate Formula One like the rest of motor sport, but all the teams and the commercial rights holder (FOM) seem to want an agreement."

Yes, but why just Ferrari?
MM: "It's not just Ferrari. We have told them that if they compete in the Formula One World Championship after 2008, they will retain the rights and privileges they currently enjoy under the Concorde Agreement. The same goes for all the other teams."

But haven't Ferrari been promised extra money?
MM: "The money is not the FIA's business, but our understanding is that all the teams which sign up for 2008 will get the money that was originally agreed between FOM and GPWC in their so-called Memorandum of Understanding of December 2003. Apparently this will be paid from 2008 together with money from 2004 to 2007 under a formula with compound interest over the five years from 2008 to 2012. We understand the money will be split among the teams with the same percentages as for the last 25 years."

But haven't Ferrari been given a "sweetener"?
MM: "We understand that money which would have been paid to Ferrari had FOM floated three years ago is involved and that the other teams concerned are to be dealt with similarly, but this is not really our business."

You have been accused of dictatorship. What do you say to that?
MM: "It's difficult to describe anything done by the FIA as dictatorial. Of the three major changes for 2005 and 2006, two (tyres and aerodynamics) had the unanimous support of the teams and one (engines) had a majority of 7 to 3. This is hardly dictatorship. The only unilateral FIA action was the introduction of procedural changes at the start of 2003. Even then we had the support of most of the teams and only acted when the teams themselves had repeatedly failed to agree on how, for example, to eliminate the danger and cost of qualifying cars and engines. It has been generally acknowledged that the 2003 changes benefitted Formula One."

The new tyre, aerodynamic and engine rules have been widely criticised?
MM: "The tyre and aerodynamic rules for 2005 and 2006 were agreed unanimously by the teams, the engines by a large (7 to 3) majority. The tyre companies, also, are pleased and will be bringing (we are told) 4 sets per car to a race compared to 19 sets per car last year. All rules can be criticised, but we must wait for a few races before we can be sure if we and the teams which supported us were right."

It has been said that car speeds could have been reduced much more easily and cheaply by introducing control tyres from a single manufacturer?
MM: "If it were that simple, the Technical Working Group (or at least the necessary 8 out of 10) would have suggested it – either during their initial two months of reflection on how to slow the cars or, at the latest, during the 45 days when they were looking at the FIA's three packages. The fact is that with engines passing the 1000 bhp mark, the current circuits and cars could not cope, even with a control tyre. It is for this reason that the teams' technical directors repeatedly and unanimously asked for a reduction in engine power in meetings of the Technical Working Group."

Going back to the proposed 2008 Concorde Agreement, how could you sign this with just FOM and Ferrari and without consulting the other teams?
MM: "We haven't signed the 2008 Concorde. It has not yet been drafted. We have simply confirmed to Ferrari that if they continue to compete in the World Championship and/or enter into a new Concorde Agreement from 2008, they will continue to enjoy their current rights and privileges. We have made it clear that the same applies to all the other teams."

But why did you not involve the other teams?
MM: "There was no need because the same offer is open to all. The other teams have never suggested they are not happy with their own current rights or privileges or those of Ferrari. Don't forget they all signed up for these for ten years in 1998."

They are certainly not happy with the money?
MM: "That's between them and FOM. They were apparently happy with the money on offer under the December 2003 Memorandum of Understanding. We are told that FOM have now put that money back on the table for anyone who competes through to 2012. It is reasonable to assume that the teams would still be happy with this money, but it is their right to bargain with FOM if they wish. The FIA has to remain neutral."