Mosley still faces calls to resign

FIA president Max Mosley is still facing calls to resign despite winning his privacy action against the News of the World in the High Court yesterday. Former world champion Sir Jackie Stewart has urged Mosley, who was awarded £60,000 damages as well as £200,000 legal fees, to step down. He claims Mosley's position is now untenable following the court case in which Mosley freely admitted to a taste for sado-masochistic sex sessions.

"My view is that the court ruling does not at all endorse his running of the FIA," Stewart said. "I think he will do immeasurable damage if he stays. He seriously threatens the reputation of the FIA, not just himself. The royal families of Monaco, Spain and Bahrain and the Prime Minister of Turkey do not want to see him - that's a fair indication."

Former Minardi owner Paul Stoddart, who was a fierce critic of Mosley during his time in motorsports, was another of several prominent figures to attack Mosley yesterday.

"Various heads of state that go to grands prix don't want to be seen with him," Stoddart said. "The institution is completely without credibility... There are big public companies that probably won't want to be associated with an institution that Mosley, having been exposed like this, has been representing and will continue to represent."

Meanwhile Max Mosley's lawyers are now preparing to bring libel actions over the News of the World's claim that the five-hour orgy they filmed was an enactment of Nazi behaviour. The legal bid could also include actions in France and Germany and possibly bring him hundreds of thousands of pounds in damages.