Dennis denies 'attempting to damage F1'

Mosley issued a four-page letter in Malaysia which was strongly critical of Dennis's comments after the Japanese Grand Prix.

And at a packed press conference only hours later, the McLaren chairman and chief executive officer said he had thought "long and hard" after seeing the letter and "a number of emotions swept" through him.

But he said his only comment would come in a written reply to Mosley which was distributed to the media. He also said he would contact Mosley directly to discuss the matters privately.

In the distributed reply, Dennis, one of the sports most prolific team bosses, "wholeheartedly" apologised to Suzuka steward Roberto Causo over comments suggesting he would be biased towards Ferrari because he was Italian.

"It certainly has not ever been my intention to damage a sport to which I have devoted most of my working life," said Dennis. "I sincerely believe that a careful analysis of my public comments over the course of the weekend will show that I was in fact fair and circumspect.

"I would be deeply distressed if I believed any of my comments over the course of the weekend were to have been interpreted as anti-Italian or disrespectful to Mr Causo. If any of my comments were misinterpreted so as to cause embarrassment to Mr Causo, then I wholeheartedly apologise.

"I hope that I understand the complexity of Formula 1 and I believe that the FIA administer a well-run sport," he added. "I will however contact you directly to discuss all of these matters and I hope that I can put any comments that I have made into their true context."

The two have a long-running animosity. Dennis was one of a group of team bosses who attempted to unseat Mosley some months ago, while Mosley has challenged Dennis to set up his own championship if he is not happy.