Mosley set to ignore renewed calls to quit

The FIA president has so far bucked repeated calls to tender his resignation in the wake of the News of the World revelations about his private life.

In fact, he claims that despite several leading figures within motor racing and some automobile clubs wanting him to stand down, he has received even more letters of support indicating that he should continue in his role.

Last week's letter from Mosley to the presidents of national automobile clubs warning them that the FIA could lose control of Formula One if he was forced from office was widely viewed as a move to weaken opposition within the governing body ahead of the June 3 confidence vote at the General Assembly.

However, has learned that moves have been put in place to try and get Mosley to resign before the June 3 meeting - amid fears about a negative impact on Mosley and the FIA whatever the outcome of the vote.

In a letter written to the presidents of the Asia and Pacific members of the Automobile Mobility and Tourism side of the FIA, the head of the Japanese Automobile Federation (JAF) has revealed that Mosley is set to face talks with senior FIA officials to be 'persuaded' to step down prior to June 3.

In the letter sent last week, a copy of which has been seen by , Setsuo Tanaka, the president of JAF, claims that a vote was taken at the FIA Spring meeting in late April to make a fresh attempt to get Mosley to stand down.

Tanaka wrote: "The World Council has unanimously agreed that we should avoid (a) vote of confidence at the Extraordinary General Assembly on 3 June, because if President Mosley would get no-confidence, it would mean disaster to him, and on the contrary, if President Mosley would get confidence, it would mean disaster to the FIA.

"In this context, the members of the World Council for the Automobile Mobility and Tourism who were present (at the Spring Meeting) unanimously gave mandate to Deputy President (Franco) Lucchesi and Region 1 President (Werner) Kraus to discuss this subject with President Mosley for the purpose of persuading him to step down."

Tanaka also claims that he wrote a personal letter to Mosley on April 11 asking him to step down from his position.

However, sources have suggested that the move to persuade Mosley to resign before June 3 will not even get as far as the FIA president - with Lucchesi likely not to accept the mandate request.

But although this push to get Mosley to resign appears to have failed, the existence of the letter indicates that there is continued opposition to him continuing in his post.

Mosley has attended this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, his first visit to an F1 race since the News of the World story first broke prior to the race in Bahrain.

Despite being seen in the paddock on Thursday, Mosley has spent most of his time in private offices conducting meetings with various figures from F1.

It is understood that as well as meeting with Renault boss Flavio Briatore and Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali, he has also held discussions with Williams CEO Adam Parr, Force India owner Vijay Mallya and former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt.