Max Mosley, surrounded as he was by media and political spin doctors, was never the type to let a touch of drama go to waste. At the slightest whiff of controversy he seized the moment to impose his considerable will - even retrospectively at times - and was often suspected of hovering in the background when it came to stewards' decisions or the eventual outcome of sagas, particularly where public outrage was present.
Consider the former FIA president's actions and comments after Austria 2002 and Ferrari's infamous (but then totally legal) victory shuffle just before the finish line; think San Marino '05 (BAR fuel tank) or Indianapolis that same year (Michelin's cars not racing); or Belgium '08 (Lewis Hamilton's 25-second penalty). Above all, think, Jerez 1997.
Yes, that European Grand Prix held 20 years ago, one in which a German world champion driving for a resurgent Ferrari deliberately rammed his title rival, driving for the gold standard team of the era. In the end, Jacques Villeneuve continued on his championship-winning way to claim third in his badly wounded Williams.