Bernie Ecclestone gave a stark warning to members of the FIA last night that if they vote to retain Max Mosley as their president today, he will stand for re-election in 2009 and could remain in office for another six years.

Speaking on the eve of today's critical extraordinary general meeting at FIA headquarters in Paris, Ecclestone said he had no doubt whatsoever that if Mosley wins a vote of confidence among the full membership, he will try to stay beyond the end of his present mandate in October next year.

Speaking to The Times, Ecclestone said that Mosley had made this quite clear in conversation with him. “The problem is, if he stays until 2009, he will run again,” Ecclestone said. “I am 100 per cent certain about that; no, one million per cent certain. That's what he said. He says: ‘I don't have to do anything. There'll be another election and I can stand if I want.'”

The implication of Ecclestone's remarks is that Mosley's opponents in the FIA, plus the many club presidents who are undecided about what to do, should take this opportunity to get rid of him before he has the chance to retrench and rebuild his power base for the future.

Ecclestone's warning comes days after the Formula One rights-holder called publicly for Mosley to stand down for the first time since revelations in the News of the World three months ago about Mosley's private life. The picture is one of a serious breakdown in relations between the two old friends and tends to give the lie to those who believe that Ecclestone and Mosley have fallen out only “for the cameras”.

The latest claim by Ecclestone will be seen by Mosley and his supporters as an eleventh-hour attempt to sway members of motor racing's world governing body as they prepare for today's meeting. Up until now, Mosley has said only that he wishes to remain in the post until October next year so as to manage an orderly transition to a successor, thought likely to be Jean Todt, a former Ferrari team principal.

Richard Woods, Mosley's official spokesman, said yesterday that his man had no plans to stay on. “The president has made his position very clear about stepping down in October next year - he's going to step down next year,” Woods said.

However, the history of Mosley's tenure at the FIA is littered with abrupt U-turns and tactical manoeuvering and a sudden change of heart on this would not be out of character.

Ecclestone said he had no idea which way the vote of confidence would go but he said people in Formula One are desperate to see an end to this episode. “It has been difficult for me,” saidEcclestone said. “The people I deal with are commercial people, manufacturers, sponsors and teams. They want peace and they want to get on with the business and the sport. Max doesn't care -he's not commercial -he hasn't got one single dollar invested, so he doesn't give a stuff.”

As delegates began arriving in Paris from all over the world, the FIA gave further details of what is likely to be a tense meeting at the organisation's imposing headquarters on the Place de la Concorde. The gathering will be chaired by Michel Boeri, the president of the FIA Senate and no members of the press will be admitted. The agenda looks biased in Mosley's favour because, although there will be an opportunity for “statements from members” prior to Mosley's address, there will be no opportunity either for an opposing case to be formally set out or for members to question Mosley.The confidence motion will be a simple “for” or “against” vote, according to Woods.

Originally 222 members were expected to cast their votes but the FIA has said this has now been trimmed to just 177, taking into account those clubs who do not have voting rights or who have failed to pay their dues. There was no list available of the clubs excluded. The FIA is also refusing to disclose how much the EGM is costing and from which of its budgets the cost is being met.