Formula One driver believes sex scandal has damaged the sport's image

LONDON — Red Bull driver Mark Webber believes Formula One's image has been damaged by the sex scandal involving FIA president Max Mosley.

A British tabloid reported earlier this month that Mosley engaged in sex acts with five prostitutes that involved Nazi role-playing. Mosley admits visiting the prostitutes but denies there was any Nazi connotation.

"Whether we like it or not, all of us in F1 are role models, and F1 simply cannot have scandals of this type," Webber said on the BBC website Saturday. "He's in a very, very influential position and it's a very important role that he has - it makes it difficult when any of these sorts of scandals become public.

"F1 is the pinnacle of motor sport, 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) because of the amount of people involved in it."

F1 drivers have mostly stayed quiet over The News of the World story that could force Mosley out of his post, although Nico Rosberg of Williams said at the Bahrain Grand Prix two weeks ago that everyone in the sport has a responsibility to set an example.

Mosley's fate as the head of world motor racing's governing body will be decided at a special general assembly in Paris on June 3. A secret vote by the 222 national motoring member organizations from 130 countries will decide his fate.

"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," Webber said. "Hopefully, that decision will come on June 3."

Four auto manufacturers and several national motoring federations have publicly criticized the 68-year-old Mosley. The South African federation has said it will vote against him fulfilling his fourth mandate, which lasts until October 2009.

Mosley, who is suing The News of the World, is the son of British Union of Fascists party founder Oswald Mosley, a former British politician who served in Parliament for both the Labour and Conservative parties. Oswald Mosley, who had Adolf Hitler as a guest at his wedding, died in 1980.