Can £1million save Mosley's skin?

Although barely a single voice of support could be heard in the paddock ahead of Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix following allegations that he acted out Nazi fantasies in a five-hour orgy, the FIA president will throw himself at the mercy of his own members at an extraordinary general assembly meeting in Paris.

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There, he will try to convince representatives of 222 motor racing and motoring organisations, that a Sunday newspaper fabricated reports that he acted out concentration camp role-plays, while admitting to sado-masochistic sex with five prostitutes.

'It will be held at the earliest opportunity,' said Mosley in a statement last night. An FIA insider indicated that the assembly could convene in three to four weeks.

The cost of flying the delegates in from around the world in first-class cabins and accommodating them in five-star splendour will not only be exorbitant — but might not even pay off.

Mosley's representative, Alan Donnelly — speaking in the absence of his boss, who was barred from visiting here by the Crown Prince of Bahrain — claimed that FIA members supported him. Maybe so, but five days after the story broke, not one has publicly said so.

Calling the Assembly buys Mosley time after four car manufacturers yesterday questioned how he can continue in office.

However, Mosley — the Oxford-educated son of Blackshirt leader Sir Oswald — will need all his powers of persuasion to convince his peers that a depraved afternoon in a Chelsea torture chamber does not fatally undermine his ability to provide moral leadership.

Although there is no mechanism within the FIA regulations to depose him, a no-confidence vote would surely end his brazen refusal to quit.

And if the News of the World — whom he yesterday accused of an 'illegal invasion' of privacy as well as taking legal action against — produce further allegations, the die would be cast. The threat of more F1 teams calling for his departure could also result in terminal trouble.

The way was led by German manufacturers, Mercedes and BMW, who issued a joint statement, saying: 'The content of the publications is disgraceful. As a company, we strongly distance ourselves from it.

'This incident concerns Max Mosley both personally and as president of the FIA, the global umbrella organisation for motoring clubs. Its consequences therefore extend far beyond the motor sport industry. We await a response from the relevant FIA bodies.'

Mosley's astonishing response was, effectively, to brand his detractors as the real Nazis of the piece.

'Given the history of BMW and Mercedes-Benz, particularly before and during the Second World War, I fully understand why they would wish to strongly distance themselves from what they rightly describe as the disgraceful content of these publications,' he said.

Mosley has confided to friends he believes he may have been the victim of a plot by McLaren-Mercedes, who were fined £50million last year for 'spying' on Ferrari, to destroy his career.

True or not, criticism of his antics is coming from every quarter, with Japanese car-makers Honda and Toyota also taking aim. Toyota said: 'We do not approve of any behaviour which could be seen to damage F1's image, in particular any behaviour which could be understood to be racist or anti-Semitic.

'When all the facts are known, it will be for the FIA to decide whether Mr Mosley has met the moral obligations which come with position of FIA president.'

Then Honda called for an 'immediate decision in the best interests of F1 and motorsport'.

It may take time, but by Thursday night Mosley's 15-year reign appeared doomed.