Germany's national motoring body have called for Max Mosley to "reconsider his role" as president of the FIA. The ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club) is the first of the world's motoring organisations to comment following the publication of a video of him taking part in an orgy and bondage session in London last week.

"In a letter to FIA president Max Mosley, the ADAC has distanced itself from events surrounding his person," an ADAC statement read.

"According to the ADAC, the role of an FIA president who represents more than 100 million motorists worldwide should not be burdened by such an affair.

"Therefore, we ask the president to very carefully reconsider his role within the organisation. According to the ADAC, the appropriate FIA process has to take care of the matter.

"It is in the interests of this world organisation to carry on with its duties without the burden of this affair."

Meanwhile, the Dutch motorsport federation (KNAF) went one further, with Arie Ruitenbeek, it's president calling for Mosley's resignation.

"Because of his high-profile position, this can't be accepted," Ruitenbeek said. "I have not received my invitation yet (to the FIA meeting), but we will go and will vote for him to resign."

However, Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One boss and a longstanding friend of Mosley's, said he would not intervene: "This is an FIA thing, this is nothing to do with anyone else," he said. "It doesn't affect us in any shape or form. It's not what I think, it's what other people think.

"I'm happy with Max, I don't have any problems at all with Max. Max will know what he needs to do, he is the president of the FIA, he is the one who will decide what goes on in the FIA - not me."

Earlier this week Mosley issued a defiant letter stating he would not resign from a position he has held since 1993, despite calls to do so from a number of motor-racing personalities. He has already apologised for any embarrassment caused by the revelations, but strongly denied any Nazi connotations to his behaviour and is planning legal action over the matter.

Mosley has asked for an extraordinary general assembly of the sport's governing body amid allegations about his private life, during which "the widespread publicity folllowing an apparently illegal invasion of the FIA president's privacy will be discussed".

It initially appeared as if Mosley had bought himself some time as the meeting is unlikely to take place for a number of weeks for logistical reasons.

The assembly comprises 222 national motoring organisations in 130 countries, of which ADAC is naturally a member. The fact they have chosen to speak out against Mosley before such a meeting, expected to be in Paris, only serves to further undermine Mosley's increasingly tenuous position.

The ADAC's position follows on strongly from the comments made in statements yesterday by four of the world's leading manufacturers in BMW, Mercedes, Honda and Toyota.

Three-times Formula One world champion Sir Jackie Stewart has also called on Mosley to quit, insisting his position is "untenable".

Stewart's comments are unsurprising given the animosity that lingers between himself and Mosley, who at one point last year described the Scot as "a certified half-wit".

But in lending his weight to the furore raging around Mosley, Stewart said: "For a head of a global federation it is simply not possible to keep his position.

"It is not only bad for motorsport in general, but also bad for the whole motorsport industry. We have a world of different cultures and you cannot accept such things to happen.

"I don't think a head of a federation can survive such a thing and simply just keep his position. It is now up to the FIA and to Mosley himself. He has to do the right thing for the sport now.

"If he would be in a commercial company he would already be gone."

Britain's own motoring organisation, the MSA (Motor Sports Association) are so far refusing to be drawn into the debate. Alan Gow, who is chairman of the MSA, is the man who would attend the assembly hearing, potentially with chief executive Colin Hilton.

However, an MSA spokesperson said: "We are simply maintaining a watching brief at this stage to see how things develop."