Formula One might be more exciting with shortcuts and no tyre choice, but the sport should not be rushed into any knee-jerk changes after a dull season-opener in Bahrain, according to Bernie Ecclestone.
“I don’t panic about anything,” the commercial supremo said. “Even if there was an earthquake in London, I wouldn’t panic.”
Ecclestone, 79, suggested headlines criticising the ‘dull’ fare on offer at the weekend had more to do with sky-high expectations prompted by the return of seven-times champion Michael Schumacher and arrival of new teams than any crisis.
“I thought that Sunday’s race was on a par with many of the races of the last five years,” he said.
“We need to wait for three or four races, there are lots of new things… we used to have lots of testing,” he added. Yahoo! Eurosport
However, Ecclestone is not sure the teams will go for it. It would need unanimous agreement amongst them to implement any changes at this stage.
“Some might wonder why the teams have options on tyres at all,” Ecclestone said. “Maybe if we only gave them a soft compound they would have to stop twice but I am not sure that they will vote unanimously for the mandatory two-stop race which Red Bull proposed.”
F1’s commercial rights holder pointed out that the real cause behind the lack of overtaking lies with the huge levels of downforce generated by modern cars, adding that he doesn’t believe the teams should have a say in sporting or technical regulations since they only look after their own interests.
“It is basically the same problem we have had for the last few years about downforce and cars not being able to get close to the one in front to create more overtaking,” Ecclestone said.
“The teams know this but they won’t do anything about it because each team looks after its own interests, trying to win. Telegraph.co.uk
Ecclestone also defended his idea to allow ‘shortcuts’ so drivers can cut out a corner a given number of times in a race, a suggestion some interpreted as a joke when he first put it forward in January.
“I’m dead serious,” he said. “What is a joke is the technical regulations at the moment and what they are producing.”
“I’m pushing but sometimes people don’t understand these things too well, they don’t see the advantages. But it would be good for a TV commentator, you’d get a lot of excitement out of it.” Sky Sports
There will be 20 races in 2011, after Bernie Ecclestone said the new Indian GP, to be introduced next season, will not replace any of the current races.
Asked in Bahrain if there was going to be 20 races in 2011, Ecclestone replied: “Why, do you want more? It’s a round number and easy to remember.” The F1 Times
| 
|