Car makers skip FIA engine meeting

The car makers have begun discussing future engine regulations, with a major overhaul planned from 2013. And, following their meeting on Thursday, representatives of BMW, Ferrari, Honda, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Renault were invited to continue these discussions with the FIA in Mosley's Monaco office on Friday afternoon.

However, the car manufacturers wrote a joint letter to FIA technical delegate Charlie Whiting informing him that they did not want to attend and asked to defer these discussions for at least two more weeks.

The letter to Whiting, signed by representatives of the six manufacturers and seen by autosport.com, said: "Thank you for inviting all the engine manufacturers to meet with you at 4pm today [Friday] in Max's office. As you know, future engine regulations decisions are made at the highest levels within our respective companies.

"In order for us all to come well prepared and with the correct representation we would kindly ask you to distribute an agenda and allow ample (two weeks) preparation time prior to the meeting. Therefore we request you defer the meeting to sometime in the near future.

"We look forward to progressing the Engine Regulations Process as set out at our meeting held in Paris on 11 January 2008."

The letter did not make any reference to Mosley himself, however sources told autosport.com that some of the car makers were keen to delay the meeting because they were nervous about the possibility of coming face-to-face with the FIA president while he is embroiled in a public sex scandal.

Mosley is due to face a vote of confidence on his role as FIA president at an Extraordinary General Assembly meeting in Paris on June 3. His visit to the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend is his first time at an F1 race since the News of the World made revelations about his private life, almost two months ago.