Bernie Ecclestone: « Some teams may not be on the grid in 2010 »

With the end of the season approaching, Bernie Ecclestone is working on many issues concerning 2010, so it’s no surprise we hear about him every day. After addressing the Donington Park issue, he immediately moved on to the next one regarding private testing, aiming to restore real value to the 3rd driver. And today, the Formula 1 supremo is focusing again on the new teams entering the elite of motorsport.

Indeed, he admitted the possibility that among the new Formula 1 teams – Campos, Lotus, Manor, and USF1 – some might not be on the grid for the start of the season in Bahrain in March 2010. The influx of newcomers was not only due to cost reductions but also to the fact that the championship entry fee ($48 million), payable by all new teams, had been waived. I think that all the projects that emerged were serious, nevertheless declared the F1 boss.

However, the increasing rumor suggests that one or even two of the new teams will not make their debut in Formula 1 as planned. Mainly because the budget caps, under which they decided to enter, have since been scrapped. It has also been suggested that some of the new teams are at an impasse, for example regarding their bases. This could be a possible explanation for Campos’ opposition regarding the 14th team, which would allow an entry for the future BMW-Sauber team in 2010.

Bernie Ecclestone fears that removing the entry fees has allowed teams to secure a place on the grid with the intention of better reselling, whereas initially, the reason for this offer was simply to attract new ones. “I hope we won’t be punished because of our generosity,” he placidly said.

Aside from that, Bernie Ecclestone opposes the claims stating that this season is proof that his medal system is a bad idea, since based on the number of race wins, Jenson Button would have secured the championship in Singapore. Instead, the Brawn driver has a comfortable points lead, but it is still difficult to make a definitive judgment on the outcome of his 2009 championship given his recent performances.

“You know that I don’t like the current points system,” Mr. Ecclestone said. When asked what he thinks of the previous statements, he said, “With my system, he wouldn’t have won all those races at the beginning.”

The Brawn took advantage of their superiority in the first half of the season, explained the Grand manitou of F1. But with the obligation to win races to become world champion, the other teams would surely have woken up earlier. In any case, with my system or the current one, this year Button is the world champion. But with my way, the guy in second place will never say he’s going to settle for that because the difference is only two points.

The current point system should remain in place for next season.