BARCELONA, Spain, April 28, 2008 (AFP) - Bernie Ecclestone made clear at the Spanish Grand Prix that he backs calls for embattled Max Mosley to quit as president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), the ruling body of world motor sport.

And this latest push to see 68-year-old Briton Mosley resign, following a sex scandal, was followed Monday by further calls for him to step down led by Scotland´s former world champion driver Jackie Stewart.

Stewart, a three-times winner of the Formula One drivers world championship, said he believed it was "impossible" for Mosley to continue as the head of world motor sport following reports that he took part in a Nazi-style sado-masochistic sex orgy with prostitutes.

"He´s gone beyond anything they would tolerate," said Stewart in answer to questions about how Formula One´s leading sponsors felt about the controversy. "He has to go."

Stewart´s continued calls for disgraced Mosley to leave followed revelations by Formula One insiders that one of Mosley´s oldest friends and business associates Bernie Ecclestone also believed he had to resign.

Ecclestone, the sport´s commercial ringmaster, was behind the proposal at a meeting of the team chiefs last Saturday morning at the Circuit de Catalunya which called for a joint statement from them all requesting Mosley´s resignation.

Ecclestone said he would add his signature to the statement if all the teams could agree to join together.

However, after some discussions, seven of the ten teams involved agreed to sign, but three declined.

The three who declined are understood to have been Ferrari, Toro Rosso and Williams.

It was originally thought that Red Bull had declined, but it has since emerged that they were in favour of signing and the Williams team were not.

The cash-starved Super Aguri team, backed by Honda for the moment, did not attend the meeting because their future as a team is in serious doubt.

All the teams agreed that they were seriously concerned at the damaging effect of Mosley´s continued refusal to resign and the ongoing controversy surrounding his personal life.

One paddock source said: "It is not just that he performed these lurid acts, but it is also that he fails to see how he has become not only a laughing stock, but also a figure of vilification.

"People are shocked at his arrogance and his inability to grasp the true effects of the situation. His image is having a terrible effect on the brand value of Formula One and his stubborn refusal to see this and drag it out is making it worse for everyone by the day."

As the F1 paddock waits for Mosley´s future to be decided, either by his resignation or at a meeting of the FIA to be held in Paris on June 3, the gathering forces of those who oppose him has signalled that he has few supporters left who are prepared to speak out on his behalf.

Many major sponsors are understood to be waiting for the outcome of the June 3 meeting before committing to the future - a situation that makes the prospect of the forthcoming Monaco Grand Prix appear farce-like.

Not only will the normal round of sponsors´ parties - where many deals are made and confirmed -- on the palatial yachts moored in the harbour be overshadowed by the Mosley scandal, but Mosley has insisted he will attend the event.

This is expected to tempt providence - and create even greater controversy - if as expected there is a reaction among the thousands of spectators crammed close to the paddock and the circuit and the action.

The prospect of various items of clothing, whips and military uniforms being used in protests and demonstrations has been mentioned and many leading figures in the sport would prefer to see Mosley resign before that race next month.

If that happened, according to another paddock source, former Ferrari chief Frenchman Jean Todt is likely to be recruited as the new president and Mosley´s replacement.

Mosley has begun legal action against London Sunday tabloid The News of the World claiming invasion of privacy.

He did not attend the Spanish Grand Prix won by defending world champion Finn Kimi Raikkonen and dominated by his Ferrari team, but instead went to the inaugural Jordan round of the World Rally Championship.