The Times also suggested that, rather than attempting to force his old friend and business associate's hand, Ecclestone was in fact doing Mosley a favour with the meeting by ‘flushing out the opposition and support' for the
FIA President. Both Mosley and Todt are expected to attend the Monaco Grand Prix next month – the former's first public appearance in
F1 since the
News of the World's damning front page exposé on his private life just over four weeks ago.
According to
F1SA, he has also engaged the services of an expert investigative company in an effort to uncover the source of the surveillance that led to what the
News of the World called his ‘sick Nazi orgy with 5 hookers' coming to the tabloid newspaper's attention. In July he is set to take on the Sunday red-top in the courts – seeking ‘unlimited damages' for breach of privacy – and has always vigorously refuted any ‘Nazi connotations' to the matter.
It is believed the covert investigation into his private life, however, was actually conducted at significant expense over a long period of time by a third party, with German publication
Auto Motor und Sport suggesting the aforementioned source could even emanate from within the grand prix paddock. Mosley is also said to have commissioned the British private detective outfit Quest to carry out surveillance on the prostitute who blew the whistle on his activities.
A French judge, meanwhile, has ordered all newspapers in the country that have published pictures of Mosley with the prostitutes be recalled, stressing that any publications that fail to comply would face a €1,500 fine per infraction.
Whilst insisting that the FIA President's personal life deserved protection under privacy laws, Judge Joel Boyer was forced to concede that he could not restrict French access to the
News of the World's online video because it was not within his power.
