Bernie wants third cars eligible

Under the Concorde Agreement governing F1 until the end of 2007, the teams between them are contracted to provide at least 20 cars at each race and if the number of teams drops below the current 10, some will be obliged to run a third car to make up the numbers. The mechanism to decide which teams the responsibility falls upon remains unclear, however. And, as things stand, third cars would be ineligible to score points in either championship.

With Jaguar Racing and Cosworth - engine suppliers to both Jordan and Minardi - currently for sale, the 2005 participation of all three teams hang in the balance.

"If Jaguar, Jordan and Minardi don't make it, we'll have seven teams running three cars each, so we'll have 20 very competitive cars," Ecclestone said in Shanghai. And, if it happens, I think that the third cars should get points. They're racing against each other, so why not? It could be hard to explain, otherwise. You could have a guy winning the race and not getting points."

Ecclestone does not think that a drop in the number of teams would be harmful to Formula 1, pointing out that an extra competitive car from the leading teams would actually improve the racing rather than detract from it.

"As long as we don't see three Ferraris on the podium, it would be okay," he said.

Ecclestone rejected the idea of any kind of F1 fighting fund being established to help the struggling independent teams and effectively provide a lifeline for Cosworth.

"I think people, for what they had to pay for the Cosworth engine, for what they got, are not sure..." Ecclestone continued, "I mean Eddie (Jordan) said he wouldn't do that anymore. We helped him this year a lot but I certainly wouldn't do that any longer."