Teams pile pressure on Mosley

Toyota, in particular, have issued a strongly-worded statement calling into question Mosley's position in the wake of lurid Sunday newspaper revelations relating to his private life.

The statement read: "Senior figures within any sport or business, including motorsport, must adhere to high standards of behaviour. 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 the position of FIA president."

Earlier this week, Mosley issued a defiant letter stating he would not resign from a position he has held since 1993, despite calls to do so from a number of motor-racing personalities.

He has already apologised for any embarrassment caused by the revelations, but strongly denied any Nazi connotations to his behaviour and is planning legal action over the matter.

The 67-year-old also insisted he had "received a very large number of messages of sympathy and support from those within the FIA and the motor sport and motoring communities generally".

Mosley maintained that within those messages of support, it was suggested his private life was not relevant to his work and that he should continue in his role.

But it appears the manufacturers may not share the same viewpoint, with German giants BMW and Mercedes-Benz issuing their own joint-statement.

It read: "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."