F1 star raps Mosley for tarnishing the sport

WEBBER'S MAX BLAST

MARK WEBBER yesterday became the first current Formula One driver to castigate shamed FIA president Max Mosley over his sordid Nazi sex video and insisted: "This scandal has brought the sport into disrepute."

Mosley faces a vote of no confidence at an extraordinary hearing of the governing body's General Assembly in Paris on June 3.

The 68-year-old multi-millionaire has been in charge of world motorsport since 1993 and his latest four-year term does not expire until October 2009.

Hamilton: Racists don't scare me

However, his future will be decided by a secret ballot of the FIA's 109 member countries following our story of his depraved Nazi orgy with five hookers.

And Red Bull race ace Webber blasted: "Whether we like it or not, all of us in F1 are role models, and F1 simply cannot have scandals of this type.

"Whether Max chooses to resign, or how the vote will go at the FIA meeting on June 3, is a matter for him and the FIA membership.

"He's in a very, very influential position and it's a very important role — it makes it difficult when any of these sorts of scandals become public.

"Hopefully that decision will come on June 3. We have got the confidence in the people — they have all the information they need to make the decision that will see if he can continue.

"F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport so a lot of other sports have been tarred with the same brush.

"Because F1 is so high profile, we are always very sensitive to not bringing it into disrepute."

Although the 31-year-old Aussie refused to specifically call for Mosley's resignation, he did insist the FIA chief would now find it more difficult to fulfil his duties. These involve dealing with heads of government and bosses of the major car manufacturers around the world.

BBC Sport columnist Webber added: "It will be more challenging for him to do his role."

Protocol

Four F1 teams — Mercedes, BMW, Honda and Toyota — have already called for Mosley (left) to quit along with several of the major motoring federations throughout the world, AND ex-F1 world champions Damon Hill and Jackie Stewart.

But Webber is the first current driver to speak out.

He added: "A lot of people are sitting on the fence and waiting for the right protocol to happen. I'm sure on June 4 there will be a lot more reaction."

Mosley — told to stay away from the Bahrain Grand Prix — will also miss next weekend's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, despite the FIA launching an anti-racism campaign there.

Instead he will make his first public appearance since the scandal at the World Rally Championship in Jordan. Although the Crown Prince of Bahrain wrote to him to insist he was not welcome in his country, the Crown Prince of Jordan, HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein has invited Mosley to mark Jordan's World Rally debut.