McLAREN boss Ron Dennis has denied any involvement in bringing to light a sex scandal that threatens Max Mosley's position as head of Formula One's governing body.
"As I have consistently said whenever I have been asked about this, I categorically deny that I have anything to do with the News of the World investigation into Mr Mosley," Dennis said in a statement yesterday.
"Neither does anyone connected
with the McLaren Group or the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team. And neither does any agent or any other party acting on my behalf or anyone connected with the McLaren Group or the team." The Sunday tabloid published details and photographs last month of Mosley's participation in what it said was a Nazi-style sado-masochistic orgy with five prostitutes.
Mosley, who is suing the newspaper for unlimited damages for breach of privacy, while also fighting to keep his position as president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), has presented himself as the victim of a deliberate attempt to discredit him.
"From information provided to me by an impeccable high-level source close to the UK police and security services, I understand that over the last two weeks or so, a covert investigation of my private life and background has been undertaken by a group specialising in such things, for reasons and clients unknown," Mosley wrote to FIA members this month. "I have had similar and less well-sourced information from France."
Mosley has since hired the Quest private investigations company, run by former London Metropolitan police commissioner Lord Stevens, to try and find out how the newspaper obtained their story.
In office since 1993, Mosley has ignored calls for him to resign.
The full article contains 288 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
