MONTE CARLO, Monaco — Auto racing leader Max Mosley was asked to resign by a key division of his organization because of his role in a sex scandal. The Formula One chief faces a vote next month in Paris that will decide whether he keeps his job.

Japanese Automobile Federation president Setsuo Tanaka had the unanimous support of the World Council for the Automobile Mobility and Tourism when he wrote to Mosley on May 15 asking him to quit.

Tanaka said in the letter that officials will speak to Mosley "for the purpose of persuading him to step down." The letter was confirmed Saturday by the international governing body of motor sports.

The 25-member council is responsible for all matters relating to the average motorist, such as road safety, environment and consumer protection. The group met April 23 in Antwerp, Belgium, to discuss Mosley.

Tanaka said the council wanted to avoid the June 3 special general assembly in Paris that Mosley called to rule on his fate. The member federations will vote by secret ballot.

"Because if president Mosley would get no-confidence, it would mean disaster to him, and on the contrary, if president Mosley would get confidence, it would mean disaster to the FIA," Tanaka wrote.

A British tabloid reported that Mosley paid five prostitutes to re-enact a Nazi-themed sex fantasy. Mosley, who is suing The News of the World newspaper, acknowledges hiring the prostitutes but denies the Nazi connotation.

Mosley has led the governing body of auto racing since 1993 and his term expires in October 2009. He says he has the backing of a large number of federations.

Motoring bodies from the United States and South Africa have urged Mosley to resign. Those in Germany, the Netherlands and Israel have criticized him, as have four major car manufacturers.

Mosley believes Bernie Ecclestone will take full control of F1 if he is forced to resign. Ecclestone denies that his rights-holding company — Formula One Management — wants to play a regulating role.