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Ecclestone to Fight for Formula One to the End

Bernie Ecclestone made it very clear that he will fight like hell to keep the Formula One manufacturers inside the sport. Following suggestions of a breakaway series – that have become more serious by the day – unless the FIA and Max Mosley will revise their budget cap proposal, Ecclestone said he put too much on the line for the well-being of the Great Circle to see it get ruined now.

While admitting he's scared of losing the F1 manufacturers, he also denied rumors of a rival series to Formula One. According to the F1 supremo, the teams have a hard time administrating their own F1 operations and will be unable to form a new championship.

I have given 35 years of my life and more to Formula One. My marriage broke up because of Formula One. So I am sure as hell not going to let things disintegrate over what is, in the end, basically nothing,” stressed the 78-year old Englishman in an interview with British newspaper the Daily Star.

While initially siding with the teams on the budget cap matter, Ecclestone admitted that car makers continuing to spent large sums of money on their F1 operation will lead to the collapse of the sport.

It could ruin it. It would be a disaster and they'd destroy the sport. I would hate to see any kind of takeover happen because it would be badly managed. They can't even run their own teams. They can't agree on anything. If the teams owned it they would destroy it.”

We organise the venues which don't cost the teams a penny. I reckon Ferrari and McLaren need us more than we need them. All they have to do is pitch up at a track with their sponsors' names all over their cars in exchange for millions of quid and race in front of a worldwide television audience – which I have set up and keep going.”

The bottom line is they can't afford to set up a rival championship,” added Bernie.

Last but not least, there was also the well-known threat, so commonly used by all parties these days.

If that (series) started, everybody would be suing everybody else and there would be no other series. There would be nothing. Everyone would spend a fortune on lawyers and nothing will happen,” added the Englishman.
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