ADAC urges Mosley to 'reconsider'

Mosley: allegations

According to the ADAC, the role of an FIA president who represents more than 100 million motorists worldwide should not be burdened by such an affair.

Quotes of the week

Also see

• F1 forum
• Live coverage

Max Mosley has been asked to "reconsider his role" as president of the FIA by Germany's national motoring body.

The ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club) is the first of the world's motoring organisations to comment on allegations made in a British Sunday newspaper about Mosley's private life.

Despite calls for his resignation, the 67-year-old has so far stated his intent to carry on in the role he has performed since 1991.

An extraordinary general meeting of the FIA has also been called, during which "the widespread publicity folllowing an apparently illegal invasion of the FIA president's privacy will be discussed".

That the meeting would gather representatives from 222 national motoring organisations - including the ADAC - from 130 countries - and therefore take time to schedule - appears to have bought Mosley time to plan his next move.

But the fact that the ADAC has chosen to speak out against Mosley before such a meeting only serves to further undermine his increasingly tenuous position.

The Dutch motorsport federation, KNAF, also confirmed on Friday that they will vote against Mosley at the meeting.

A statement from the ADAC read: "In a letter to FIA president Max Mosley, the ADAC has distanced itself from events surrounding his person.

"According to the ADAC, the role of an FIA president who represents more than 100 million motorists worldwide should not be burdened by such an affair.

"Therefore, we ask the president to very carefully reconsider his role within the organisation.

"According to the ADAC, the appropriate FIA process has to take care of the matter.

"It is in the interests of this world organisation to carry on with its duties without the burden of this affair."

Comments

The ADAC's position follows comments made on Thursday by four of the world's leading manufacturers: BMW, Mercedes, Honda and Toyota.

Three-times Formula One world champion Sir Jackie Stewart and 1979 title winner Jody Scheckter have also called on Mosley to quit.

Stewart's comments are unsurprising given the animosity that lingers between himself and Mosley, who last year described the Scot as "a certified halfwit".

In lending his weight to the argument, Stewart added: "For a head of a global federation it is simply not possible to keep his position.

"It is not only bad for motorsport in general, but also bad for the whole motorsport industry.

"We have a world of different cultures and you cannot accept such things to happen.

"I don't think a head of a federation can survive such a thing and simply just keep his position.

"It is now up to the FIA and to Mosley himself. He has to do the right thing for the sport now.

"If he would be in a commercial company he would already be gone."