Mosley hits back at clubs

The all-out feud comes a matter of days prior to a vote of confidence being taken on whether he is fit to remain in office, and in the latest development Mosley has hit back at statements from several clubs urging him to resign or consider his position.

The FIA president has refused to follow calls for his resignation and claims a number of clubs "have been trying to change the structure of the FIA since well before the events they now seek to exploit."

He maintains that, in communications received from other club presidents, they have been "overwhelmingly in favour of my remaining as president".

He continued: "I therefore had no choice but to submit the question (the vote) to the FIA membership as a whole. I certainly could not have simply ignored the majority and resigned."

In their letter dated May 28, the clubs also expressed their anger at Mosley for refusing the offer of a compromise deal to step down this November in exchange for a guaranteed victory in the extraordinary general assembly vote to be held in Paris on Tuesday.

The suggestion was proposed by the World Council for Automobile Mobility and Tourism (WCAMT), a senior body of the FIA.

Mosley describes the suggestion as "the worst possible solution" and went on to attack a number of the clubs behind the letter, adding: "Several of these same clubs have formed groups separate from the FIA from which the wider FIA membership is excluded.

"Worse, they have obstructed our efforts to improve co-operation between all clubs.

"Combined with a complete lack of transparency, I believe these activities are contrary to the interests of the FIA."