Mosley future in the balance as vote looms

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Max Mosley's life has resembled the sauciest of soap operas since the end of March.

The FIA president has been the reluctant lead actor in a script initially commissioned by the UK's News of the World newspaper.

On March 30 it published a front page, a spread inside and video on its Internet site featuring Mosley engaged in an orgy with five prostitutes in a private central London flat.

The tabloid alleged the orgy had Nazi-style overtones, an incendiary claim as Mosley is the son of the famous British fascist Sir Oswald Mosley.

Mosley has been furiously trying to have the script rewritten with a happily-ever-after ending since.

The Briton, who resides in Monaco, has ignored calls for his resignation, denying that the orgy had Nazi overtones and insisting the sex session was a private matter that does not impact on his ability to do his job.

Mosley called meeting to vote on his future

Shortly after the allegations were published he called a meeting of the FIA's assembly, which convenes in Paris on Tuesday to vote on his future.

Success will see him continue in his position for another year -- he has already said he will step down when his term ends in 2009 -- while failure will leave him with only the pursuit of legal action against the News of the World for solace.

Mosley has endeavored to keep a low profile since the story broke -- the May 25 Monaco Grand Prix being his first appearance at a race since the Malaysian GP.

At times this has been through choice, Mosley sharing out his public duties to his deputies, but mostly he has taken the less-than-subtle hints that his presence was not desired.

Sheikh Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, the Crown Prince of Bahrain, wrote to Mosley to tell him he was not welcome, and he did not show his face in either Barcelona or Turkey.

Galeb Majadle, Israel's Minister of Science, Culture and Sport, also withdrew an invitation to visit the country and talk about motor sport.

The manufacturers -- many of whom have no great love for Mosley, who is pushing proposals which will see their budgets slashed -- were also quick to condemn and distance themselves from him.

With one worried eye on their sponsors, BMW and Mercedes Benz, Toyota and Honda called Mosley's position into question, labeling the situation "disgraceful" and "disappointing."

Jackie Stewart called for resignation

A number of former drivers have contributed their two-cents worth, Sir Jackie Stewart in particular being vociferous in his calls for Mosley to resign.

Stewart believes Mosley has done "untold damage to motor sport."

Again, the two are not the best of friends, Mosley labeling Sir Jackie a "certified half-wit" after comments he made last year on the $100 million fine handed down to McLaren for holding Ferrari technical data.

However, none of the above get a vote on Tuesday.

More important are the national bodies whose representatives will attend the meeting. Nearly 30 have now publicly expressed their opposition to Mosley, including the powerful Japan and U.S. groups.

On Wednesday 24 motor sport clubs -- representing 100 million motorists and 86 percent of the total FIA membership -- rejected Mosley's arguments for staying on as head of Formula One's governing body.

In a letter they said "the only respectable way forward for the FIA, and for yourself, is to have an orderly transition, with an immediate agreement and your commitment to step down."

An earlier attempt to broker a face-saving deal, which would have seen Mosley continue in the position to November before resigning, also failed to win favor.

Interestingly, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone refrained from commenting on Mosley's situation for nearly two months.

However, he leapt into action after Mosley sent a letter to FIA members suggesting Ecclestone's company wanted to take complete control of the sport.

MI5 connection gave story legs

Ecclestone warned Mosley against starting a "war," before going on to say the FIA needed a "credible and respected president."

Elsewhere the story has been give extra legs by Mosley's pursuit of legal action for violation of privacy in England and France, and claims that an MI5 spy was forced to resign after it was revealed his wife was one of the prostitutes involved in the orgy.

Mosley could be forgiven for shaking his head in disbelief at the situation he now finds himself in.

However, with top London PR firm Phil Hall and Associates -- ironically Hall is a former editor of the News of the World -- Mosley has slowly been trying to rehabilitate himself publicly.

He has stuck firmly to the line that what happens in his private life should not impact on his position, and tried to emphasize why the sport needs him.

Mosley has highlighted his record, particularly on safety and securing the sport's business agreements with Ecclestone, and outlined his goals for the next year.

He is determined to drive down the sport's costs -- something Ecclestone is also keen on -- to help it attract new competitors and wants to ensure the FIA retains its position as Formula One's regulatory body.

Even Mosley's detractors admit he has been the driving force behind the sport's vastly improved safety record.

But is it enough?

Mosley believes he has the support of nearly half the FIA's assembly and is confident of winning Tuesday's vote.

However, it has been a painful two months, a slow death by a thousand cuts, and many in the sport are worried how continued coverage of his court cases will further impact on the sport's image.

More than anything, they are worried about it hurting sponsorship.

In many ways these may be false concerns. For most people the sport is about the competition, technology and glamour; Mosley is not Lewis Hamilton.

However, Mosley can now only influence the script. The final version will be vetted by the FIA's 200 members on Tuesday. The denouement could prove just as interesting.

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