Formula One: International Automobile Federation (FIA) President Max Mosley, facing calls to quit over a sex scandal, has called an extraordinary general assembly of motor sport's world governing body.
The FIA said in a statement issued at the Bahrain Grand Prix that Mosley had asked the President of the FIA Senate, Monaco's Michel Boeri, to call the meeting in Paris and at the earliest practicable date.
That is unlikely to be in the next week or two, with 222 national motoring organisations from 130 countries on five continents affiliated to the FIA.
"The full membership of the FIA will be invited to attend the meeting at which the widespread publicity following an apparently illegal invasion of the FIA President's privacy will be discussed," the statement said.
"The FIA has noted that Mr Mosley is preparing legal proceedings against the newspaper in question."
Britain's News of the World Sunday tabloid detailed how he had paid for sex with prostitutes in what was depicted as a Nazi-style orgy. Mosley has denied any "Nazi connotation to the matter" and has blamed a "covert" operation against him.
Mosley apologised to all national FIA clubs and bodies in a letter on Tuesday but said he would not stand down.
Earlier today, leading Formula One car manufacturers put pressure on Mosley to resign.
Mercedes, BMW, Honda and Toyota all issued statements critical
of Mosley's position.
"Toyota Motorsport does not approve of any behaviour which
could be seen to damage Formula One's image, in particular any
behaviour which could be understood to be racist or anti-Semitic,"
the Japanese carmaker said.
"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."
