Lauda also joins call for Mosley to go

"If Max starts to think about things without emotion, then there can be only one conclusion - he has to resign," British newspapers quoted the Austrian, a champion with McLaren and Ferrari, as saying on Monday.

Triple champion Jackie Stewart said Mosley's position as head of world motorsport's governing body was untenable while South Africa's 1979 champion Scheckter called for the 67-year-old to resign last week.

"Max has lost the paddock, that is my perception from what others are saying," Stewart told the Daily Telegraph.

"It might take up to a week to 10 days for this to play out. People are waiting for others to act before they declare their hands."

More details were published in the tabloid News of the World on Sunday but Mosley has remained defiant, arguing that his behaviour has been "harmless and completely legal", however unacceptable it might be to some people. He has said he has the backing of some FIA members.

The son of Oswald Mosley, founder of the pre-war British Union of Fascists, has firmly denied any Nazi connotation to the affair.

Four of Formula One's car manufacturers put pressure on Mosley to go last week but team bosses have been reluctant to speak out, either for or against him.

Force India technical head Mike Gascoyne was an exception.

"I think any person in that position has to consider the impact of their actions," he told Reuters at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

"If he wishes to stay, it will devalue his office down to the level at which it is perceived, which is obviously not good.

"It is painting the whole of motorsport in a very bad light and someone in that position, to my mind, has to be honourable and consider their position."

Force India's billionaire co-owner Vijay Mallya is also the chairman of the Motorsports Association of India (MAI), a member of the FIA general assembly that has been called to an extraordinary meeting to discuss the affair and that could vote Mosley out of office.

"As the head of the Indian ASN (national sporting authority), I am personally pretty shocked at the revelations," Mallya told Reuters. "India is basically a culturally conservative country. Whatever has already appeared is quite shocking."

However he said he would call a meeting of his council to seek their views before taking a stance.

"I have to respect the sentiments of my countrymen who represent the various clubs who are members of the federation," he said. "So we will have the unpleasant task of having to discuss this."

He said his team's support in India would not be affected by the scandal however.

"Any Indian or overseas companies who are targeting the Indian market and middle class can use Force India F1 as a great platform to reach out to that middle class. That is not going to be affected by Mosley or anybody else.

"I have my sponsors here and they don't know or care who Mosley is."