At the height of the sex scandal, Bernie Ecclestone suggested that FIA President Max Mosley wasn't fit for purpose, and that the revelations regarding his private life would cause serious damage to the sport.

Threatening all-out "war" with his former buddy, Ecclestone called on Mosley to step down for the good of the sport, claiming that nobody would want to be associated with a sport tarnished by such a scandal. Some of Ecclestone's comments were impeccably timed, not to mention the 'leaks' to certain sections of the media.

Such was the hostility between the two former pals, Ecclestone was forced into a public denial that he was behind the revelations in the News of the World, as part of a plot not merely to curb Mosley's power but to oust him from the sport.

However, following the vote of confidence from the FIA, not to mention victory in the High Court, Ecclestone's attitude towards Mosley has softened considerably, to put it mildly.

Asked about rumours that despite previous claims that he would step down as FIA President next year, Mosley would remain for another term, Ecclestone told Gazzetta dello Sport: "I would re-elect him for another 20 years. If he wants to stay, it's right that he should."

Gets you right here doesn't it?