Czech official stands by comments

McLaren have written a letter to Novak asking him to clarify comments he gave in a recent interview with Prague station, Radio Impuls, where he talked about the chance of McLaren being involved in a set-up against Mosley.

Speaking about the possibility of a set-up, Novak said: "I wouldn't like to talk about what kind of set-up it was, but I believe it was a set-up, because of what happened recently. When the FIA, from the proposal of Mosley, fined someone significantly, then it gives you the feeling that it could be like that."

Novak subsequently confirmed his suspicions of McLaren in the interview, but there is some debate over the meaning of a word in his original statement, which does not have a direct English translation.

Team boss Ron Dennis issued a statement on Thursday categorically denying any involvement in the matter as he seeks answers as to what Novak did really mean in his interview.

Despite the letter and the strong denial from McLaren, Novak told the Czech Press Agency on Thursday that he stands by his comments about the Woking-based team.

"It's definitely one of the possibilities every intelligent person has to consider," Novak was quoted as saying by the agency. "But maybe Mr. Mosley already knows who is behind it."

In the original interview with Radio Impuls, Novak said that Mosley's chances of winning the vote of confidence he will face at the FIA General Assembly on June 3 could go either way.

"It's 50/50," said Novak, who is a member of the World Motor Sport Council and an ally of Mosley. "Right now, the FIA has two so-called "councils", mobility and the automobile, and sporting.

"I'm a member of the sporting council (WMSC). There are 24 people (excluding Mosley and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone) and actually last week we had a poll about how this thing should go and what should happen there.

"In fact, there were nine people in favour of Mr. Mosley, nine people against him and six people who abstained from voting.

"If you project these numbers to all the member states, then I personally see it as 50/50.

"I personally believe that the sporting clubs will stick with Mosley and the automobile ones, or as they like to call themselves 'mobility', some will go against him."