F1 boss faces battle with teams

Share

Formula One teams appear to be on a collision course with Bernie Ecclestone over the way he runs the sport.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo - who chairs the teams' association Fota - said he was unhappy with many of the ways in which Ecclestone operated.

Di Montezemolo believes the sport does not need a "dictator", adding the time was approaching when Ecclestone, 78, would have to step down.

"I think sooner or later he has to stop," Di Montezemolo told the Times.

Last week the Fota and the sport's governing body, the FIA, agreed a raft of compromises to cut costs over the next two seasons.

Di Montezemolo now wants the teams to use their unified stance to alter the balance of power in F1, which he believes is not being run in a "normal" fashion.

"Do you think it is normal that we don't have one race in North America?" he continued.

"Do you think it is normal we understand from newspapers that the Canadian Grand Prix is over?

Do you think it is normal that we cannot discuss the timing of races?"

Di Montezemolo has already insisted on another meeting between Fota and the FIA to discuss the teams' earnings.

Under the current agreement, the sport's income is split 50-50 between the commercial rights holders - private equity group CVC Capital Partners - and all the teams.

"We want to know more about the revenues," said Di Montezemolo.

"There is no professional sport in the world where the players get less than 50% of the total cake.

"We have to open an important page with Ecclestone and [CVC boss Donald] MacKenzie, not only in terms of quantity of money but in terms of how to do things - circuits, spectators, hospitality, television, types of track and timing of races."

Di Montezemolo also said there would have been an exodus of the teams backed by major motor manufacturers if the FIA's plans to introduce a standard engine had been approved last week.

Instead, Fota and the FIA agreed a different package of changes, including plans to double engine life in 2009, to limit the revs and to cut the cost of engines supplied to independent teams by approximately 50% of 2008 prices.