In the category of 'what were they thinking' Max Mosley's recently exposed antics were right up there with the best, or should that be worst, of them.
Unless you've been holidaying on another planet recently, it has been hard not to hear about the sexual peccadilloes of the head of Formula One's governing body.
As sex scandals go, it was a particularly juicy one. Mosley was caught being whipped by prostitutes in what the News Of The World newspaper described as a 'Nazi-style orgy'. Mosley strenuously denies any Nazi connotations, but isn't denying the orgy itself. That fact could be enough to seal his fate.
At the last grand prix in Bahrain, Mosley was asked not to come by the country's rulers. That must have hurt and embarrassed him almost as much as the original story. In his absence there was universal glee in the paddock. The FIA boss is not particularly well liked among teams who think he meddles too much in the sport and does it with a heavy hand - the McLaren spy affair being a case in point.
Along with Bernie Ecclestone, Mosley has held Formula One in an iron grip. Between them they control the rule-making and the economics of the sport. No wonder they enjoy such a close working relationship. The partnership seemed invincible, but Mosley's indiscretions could have fatally undermined his position.
Already the mood music is not good for the Briton. Several prominent figures in the sport have come forward to criticise him. Sir Jackie Stewart was one of the first to wade in, not surprising given the bad blood between them. More worrying for Mosley would be the comments of Mark Webber.
For a current driver to say the scandal has disgraced Formula One is immensely damaging to Mosley. Webber stopped short of calling for his resignation, but was unequivocal when he said: 'The current scandal has brought the sport into disrepute. Whether we like it or not, all of us in F1 are role models, and F1 simply cannot have scandals of this type.' It echoes the comments of some of the major car manufacturers, criticisms that elicited an ungracious reply from Mosley.