A letter to Jordan's Prince Feisal, the brother of the ruling King Abdullah, has caused outrage after Max Mosley appears to suggest that member clubs voting for Ari Vatanen in the forthcoming FIA presidency election can expect to be marginalised in the aftermath.

In the letter to Prince Feisal, the Jordan Motorsport chairman and one of Vatanen's nominations for vice-president, Mosley claims the Finn "will lose the election and lose badly".

The letter was revealed yesterday at the Amman Extraordinary Motoring Conference which was headed by Prince Feisal. In it, Mosley, who was writing to explain why he would not be attending the conference, is said to have warned that those who back Vatanen can expect repercussions following the Finn's criticism of the FIA's governance.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Mosley writes: "Any thought that, after the election, everyone can unite and work together can now be forgotten. It is not possible to make statements like Vatanen's and then expect the victims of insults and untruths to forget what has been said.

"Vatanen will lose the election and lose badly, not least because he chose to denigrate the FIA and those currently in office rather than run a constructive and civilised campaign."

Responding to Mosley's letter Prince Feisal said, according to the Jordan Times: "Jordan has always maintained a strong relationship with the FIA president, so I am deeply disappointed by the content and the insinuations of his letter which have raised serious questions as to the credibility of the upcoming and future elections.

"Jordan was delighted to welcome Max to Jordan for our inaugural World Rally Championship round last year."

Prince Feisal is offended not only by the tone of Mosley's letter but also the fact that at the height of last year's sex scandal, when nobody appeared willing to touch the FIA president with a bargepole, including Bahrain's crown prince, he offered the Englishman a lifeline by inviting him to the Rally.

Attendees at yesterday's conference were clearly disappointed by Mosley's letter and claimed it further indicated the need for change.

"The world is changing and it is important that we, as motoring decision makers, stay at the forefront by leading the change," said Price Feisal. "That is why the Amman Extraordinary Motoring Conference is so timely and why your vote on October 23 will be vital to the future of mobility, touring and sport.

"We face many modern day challenges such as the environment, road safety, professionalism and inclusion within our motorsports, and administrative transparency which must be addressed now if the FIA is to be renowned as a beacon of excellence constructed on good governance," he added.

He referred to Vatanen as a "a man with integrity" and "a man with experience who would make an outstanding president".

"Ari and I share many concerns and truly believe that the FIA should have an increased participation and representation from all regions as many parts of the world are currently underrepresented," he added.

The Prince also stressed the need for an ethics commission to be set up within the FIA. "This ethics commission would have three main roles," he said. "To draw up and update an FIA Code of Ethics, to conduct investigations into breaches of ethics and, when necessary, make recommendations for measures or sanctions to the FIA World Council. It would have a mission of prevention and advising the whole motoring movement in order to assist with the application of the ethical principles and rules."

To further complicate matters, Jean Todt's appointment of Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the Automobile and Touring Club for United Arab Emirates, as one of his vice-presidents, has also rankled some of the Arab nations as his decision to side with the Frenchman is seen as by going against Prince Feisal, a member of a ruling royal family.

The tone of Mosley's letter and the perceived threat contained indicates that the FIA president feels that Todt might not enjoy the runaway victory many are predicting. In a letter to the conference Peter Meyer, president of the German Automobile Club (ADAC), gave his support to Vatanen, writing: "We want a strong FIA: Strong because it is supported by strong organisations across the world."

While Mosley accuses Vatanen of denigrating the FIA's governance it should be noted that Jean Todt also has been quite vocal in his calls for change.