Ecclestone fears for Mosley role

Mosley won a vote of confidence to continue in his present role on Tuesday but a number of motoring associations who voted against the 68-year-old were so outraged at the outcome, they are threatening a breakaway faction.

Somewhat significantly, Ecclestone reflected: "I hope it (the decision) hasn't destabilised sponsors or manufacturers."

Those who have previously given Mosley the cold shoulder, such as the royalty in Bahrain, Spain and Monaco, are unlikely to change their perception of a man caught by a News of the World sting.

The lurid revelations into his private life, relating to an orgy with prostitutes, remain in the public domain.

Ecclestone confirmed to PA Sport that in the run-up to the vote he had come under mounting pressure from outside influences to force Mosley to resign.

Those influences are likely to have been manufacturers and sponsors who had previously grown fearful of the damaging impact the Mosley scandal was having on the sport.

Despite that, Mosley stood firm and will now feel vindicated, but as Ecclestone added: "We are now in a position where nobody quite knows what will happen.

"All those who said things in the past, I don't imagine they are going to change their opinion now. They won't feel differently to the way they felt before.

"So it's going to be difficult for him to act as president of the FIA if the people who said before they don't want to meet with him maintain that position."