A week after it was claimed that Max Mosley is considering launching a coup and thereby regain control of the FIA, the Englishman has said he has no plan to return to F1.

Although there are certain people said to be unhappy regarding constitutional changes Jean Todt is considering making, the claim, made by an Italian website, that Mosley was working behind the scenes in an attempt to take command seemed somewhat bizarre.

A number of sources very close to Mosley made it clear to Pitpass that the Englishman had no such plans making it clear that his attention is now focussed elsewhere.

Speaking to the BBC's 5 live today, Bernie Ecclestone's eightieth birthday, Mosley was keen to quash the speculation. "I think my F1 days are finished and I've moved on to other things," he said. One should never go back."

Asked about last week's story, he continued. "It's completely a rumour. I follow it vaguely at a distance. I'm really now just an ordinary fan, I watch it on the television, but it's no longer my responsibility. It's a nice idea and very friendly to say 'come back' but the truth of the matter is it wouldn't be the right thing to do."

Referring directly to Todt, who he publicly endorsed as the perfect candidate to take over the presidency, Mosley said: "I pushed very strongly for Jean and I think he'll get the job done, and I want him to succeed because I'm responsible in part for him being there. He must be given a chance to run it in his own way, which obviously will be different to my way and might be better."

However, in another interview, Ecclestone praised his great friend, the man with whom he has shaped the sport over the last thirty-odd years. Indeed, he suggested there is still a role for Mosley. "I suppose we could go back and have what we called FISA and Max could be president of the FIA and Jean could still be president of FISA running the sporting side," he said.

"I don't think the teams would mind," he added. I mean you ask anyone now if Max comes back as president of the FIA would they complain and I think they would say no."