We need to level things up a little bit - Ecclestone

  • Published on 17 Mar 2015 08:36
  • 3
  • By: Rob Veenstra
Red Bull is right to argue for rule changes after Mercedes utterly dominated the 2015 season opener, Bernie Ecclestone said on Monday. A report by the Reuters news agency said the F1 chief executive played down former champions Red Bull's threats to quit formula one, not least because the team has committed to the sport contractually through 2020. "Whether they will (quit), who knows?," Ecclestone said.

But he insisted Red Bull was right to argue that something should be done to bridge the big gap between Mercedes and the other engine makers under F1's turbo V6 regulations. Mercedes' Toto Wolff, on the other hand, advised the bosses of the energy drink owned team to go to Jeruselum and join the others at the 'Wailing Wall'.

But Ecclestone said: "They (Red Bull) are absolutely 100 per cent right. There is a rule that I think (former FIA president) Max (Mosley) put in when he was there that in the event that a particular team or engine supplier did something magic - which Mercedes have done - the FIA can level up things. We need to change things a little bit now and try and level things up a little bit," he added. (GMM)

Replies (3)

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  • Good ole "flip-flop" Bernie. Always acute hearing of the squeaky wheels. Prance on all fours for the larger teams; ignore the smaller one.

    If things really are so unfair, maybe the easiest thing would be for Mercedes to sit-out every 3rd or 4th race, or bifurcate the points awards so that Mercedes always gets fewer.

    • + 0
    • Mar 17 2015 - 09:56
  • ianf1

    Posts: 185

    When will he stop meddling? Last season it was the double points fiasco in the last race, which could have resulted in the most unjust result for the season imaginable. Mercedes and now Ferrari have both come up with engines that work within the rules, it would be crass and an abuse of power to cripple them to the level of Renault. Maybe Renault could turn up with a lawnmower engine next time, and everyone would have to be levelled to that?

    • + 0
    • Mar 17 2015 - 10:00
  • khasmir

    Posts: 893

    One moment he is slapping Manor in the face and the next he is patting Red Bull on the back. There there, it will be ok...

    In some racing leagues they add ballast for every win to even things out. Why not do that, be it with a limit not to compromise the cars completely. Say, raise the minimum weight for each victory by 1 kg, with a limit of say 10 kg.

    • + 0
    • Mar 17 2015 - 18:00

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