MARCH 24, 2011

Bernie takes another shot at FIA

Bernie Ecclestone has again criticised the direction taken by the FIA and president Jean Todt over the future F1 engine regulations and, now, the governing body's role.

Bernie Ecclestone has again criticised the direction taken by the FIA and president Jean Todt over the future F1 engine regulations and, now, the governing body's role.

In an interview with the British Daily Express, Ecclestone said: "Jean Todt is a poor man's Max (Mosley). He has been travelling around the world doing what Max didn't do too much - kissing the babies and shaking the hands. It is probably good for the FIA but we don't need it in F1."

Ecclestone again called into question the desirability of using small capacity turbo engines in F1 from 2013 and the return of KERS, questioning the need for F1 to be seen to be green - although that was a path trodden by Mosley himself.

"We don't use any energy in F1 for a start," Ecclestone said. "KERS has just cost an awful lot of money and I don't know what it has proven. I don't think anyone knows or cares what it is or what it does. I get upset with these things."

Revealing a broader agenda, F1's commercial boss went on: "We should write the rules with the teams. The competitors have got to race and have got a big investment. We have got a big investment. We should write the rules, give them to the FIA and they should make sure they are followed. It should be like the police - the police don't write the rules and say you've got to do 30 miles an hour. The FIA is a joke."