Grapevine: Mosley turns columnist

Mosley's column, called Grip 'n' spin, will appear regularly in the monthly magazine, which is published in 33 languages, in over 110 countries, with a circulation of a million copies a month.

Mosley's first column appears in the March 2006 issue, which goes on sale next week. F1 Racing's editor in chief Matt Bishop has warned that the text is likely to cause controversy, but he says the FIA president will not be censored.

"[His] first F1 Racing column is quite contentious," Bishop said. "A lot of people won't like it - especially people in hot seats in the boardroooms of F1's motor manufacturers. Well, tough.

"We never tell our columnists what they can or cannot write about, and no exception will be made for Grip 'n' spin."

The topic of Mosley's first column is quite predictable, and with a touch of self-irony, the Briton acknowledges as much.

"So, what to write my first column about?" Mosley begins. "On second thoughts, that's not really such a difficult question, is it?"

Unsurprisingly, the topic is cost savings, and the resistance of the manufacturers. "In the end, you see, we at the FIA are trying to save the teams, but particularly the manufacturers, from themselves.

"And if you want to know what happens when you listen too closely to the manufacturers, take a long, hard look at the IRL. It's not a pretty sight."