Stewart Says Mosley Should Still Resign Despite Court Victory

If Max Mosley thought yesterday's high court verdict would bring him vindication in the wider formula one community he will have been disappointed. Yesterday afternoon he faced a fresh barrage of criticism from some of his oldest adversaries.

Even as he celebrated his success in suing News International, the owner of the News of the World, for £60,000 after it claimed he had been involved in a sado-masochistic orgy with Nazi overtones, the sport's governing body was being dismissed as "an institution without credibility" for as long as the 68-year old son of the former fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley remains its president.

This attack on the FIA was launched by Paul Stoddart, the former Minardi owner, a critic of Mosley during his time in the sport. "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. The crown prince of Bahrain does not want Mosley in his country while the Australian prime minister refuses to meet him. 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."

Jackie Stewart, the three times world champion, agreed. Commenting on speculation that Mosley would not stand for re-election as FIA president when his term ends in October 2009, but would still seek to be the power behind the throne, possibly as president of the FIA Foundation or its senate, Stewart was dismissive.

"What good does that do for the people who don't want to shake his hand," he said. "I think to some extent today's court decision was a bit of a half-hearted ruling because he did not get punitive damages and he certainly did not get an endorsement to continue running the FIA."

It has been speculated that Mosley's successor as president is likely to be Jean Todt, the former Ferrari team principal who helped mastermind Michael Schumacher's success in winning five of his seven world championships. Todt has been a long-time admirer and supporter of Mosley and would relish the new challenge and prestige this job would bring.

Another fan of Mosley is Stirling Moss, the four times world championship runner-up, but he too believes that it is time for him to go. "He has done an enormous amount for motor racing around the world, not just formula one," he said last night. "I can understand how people feel about him, but I like Max. He's an interesting and amusing person. However, I don't think his position is tenable - he does not hold the stature he held before."

It remains to be seen whether those factions within the FIA, who earlier this year tried to unseat Mosley, will launch another challenge to his authority. Mosley last month won a vote of confidence to stay on as president - a position he has held since 1991. More than a third of delegates did not back him but he won 103 of 169 votes.

The likelihood of Mosley caving in after coming this far is remote. "You know Max," said one FIA insider. "He will be involved in running the sport as long as there is breath in his body."