Sunday 1 June at 13:38 : Sir Jackie Stewart has retracted his threat of legal action following comments made last year by the FIA's now scandal-ridden president, Max Mosley.

Long before the sex scandal broke, former triple world champion Stewart, and the similarly aged Mosley, were intense adversaries, who memorably locked horns over the handling of the McLaren-Ferrari spy saga.

After Stewart, also 68, described the affair as an anti-McLaren "witch hunt", Mosley ridiculed the tartan-wearing Scot as a "certified half-wit" who dresses up "as a 1930s music hall man".

Stewart, however, took offence at the description, consulting with lawyers for a possible libel action.

It now emerges that he believes Mosley's attack was a reference to his dyslexia.

"Those sort of comments show him up," Stewart told the Scotland on Sunday newspaper.

"Once upon a time I'd have been horrified by him talking about my dyslexia, but not now. I'm a certified dyslexic -- so what? So what if I can't recite the alphabet?

"I did think about suing him and was told I had a cast iron case, but it was so petty and I didn't want to come down to his level.

"What it showed was that his decision-making - especially when he's in a rage - is worryingly faulty," Stewart charged.