According to an interview the 80-year old Englishman has given the Australian news agency AAP recently, his view on the new engine formula implemented by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) for 2013 is in total contradiction to president Jean Todt's. Meaning he is totally against the turbocharged engines, as he fears it will kill two very important elements of F1 today.
First off, Ecclestone admitted fears that Ferrari might walk away from the sport as a result of the new engine rules – sticking to F1 would make no sense for the Scuderia, as they wouldn't get to use their engine technology in the sport in their road car business – while the second crucial factor affected by the move would be the “noise” of the current normally-aspirated units.
Earlier this year, several other prominent figures of F1 have expressed fears over losing the sound of F1 from 2013 onwards – including triple champion of the sport Niki Lauda – while Ecclestone also believes the new silent image of the Great Circus will also lose a great deal in TV audiences.
“I'm anti, anti, anti, anti moving into this small turbo four formula,” he said, according to the aforementioned source. “We don't need it and if it's so important it's the sort of thing that should be in saloon car racing.”
“The rest of it is basically PR – it's nothing in the world to do with Formula One. These changes are going to be terribly costly to the sport. I'm sure the promoters will lose a big audience and I'm quite sure we'll lose TV,” he said.
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