Ecclestone: Button's Winning Streak Bad for F1

Having missed the Turkish Grand Prix due to a kidney infection, Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone revealed he didn't lose the chance to watch the Sunday action on TV. Consequently, he was asked to summarize the race at Istanbul Otodrom by a Daily Express reporter, who allegedly watched the race by Ecclestone's side.

The 78-year old Englishman admitted that last weekend's race was another sample of perfect driving for fellow countryman Jenson Button, but insisted the Brawn GP driver's hegemony inside the sport is no good news to the promoters.

Although he matched Michael Schumacher's and Jim Clark's winning records this year – as all three drivers have managed to win 6 of the opening 7 races of an F1 season – Button is on the verge of killing the show in 2009, believes Ecclestone. The fact that no one is even to touch the Brit is even more threatening, as the fans are only left to watch the battle for 2nd place (if any).

“Very, very good result in one way,” admitted Eccleston, while adding: “It is obviously super for him but it is not great for the spectacle, the championship. You like to see superstars doing the job like this but I wish there was a bit more of a challenge. Might come yet,” argued a disappointed, yet optimistic Ecclestone.

The Brawn GP driver is currently out of reach in the overall classification, as he now rests some 26 points ahead of nearest rival and teammate Rubens Barrichello. As pointed out by Australian driver Mark Webber following his runner-up place in Turkey, “two DNFs changes things obviously”, though pretty unlikely.

The most recent time someone managed to come back from 25 points down and produce some last minute show in Formula One was in 2006, when Ferrari's Michael Schumacher managed to recuperate some 25 points to future champion Fernando Alonso in 7 races. The Spaniard eventually won the title, as he outscored the German ace in the last 2 races of the season.