Bernie Ecclestone has 'a thousand more ideas' to pursue at F1 helm

His comments come after Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo suggested the Briton may be getting too old to run F1.

Ecclestone poured scorn on the assertion, saying that even now he was balancing his duties for the FIA World Motor Sport Council with attempts to resurrect the Turkish Grand Prix, which lost its place on the F1 calendar for 2012.

"I don't feel 82, and as a matter of fact I'm now going to Geneva, then to Istanbul to see if we can get back the Turkish GP and [will then] participate at the World Council," Ecclestone told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"And I'm not stopping here, I have a thousand more ideas.

"Do I look in such a bad shape, two weeks after the USA GP that I wanted and somehow created?

"I'm 82 and nobody can deny that. But time ago I used to discuss things with an 88-year-old gentleman when Luca was a 40-year-old. His name was Enzo Ferrari.

"Believe me, at that age he could make me shiver because he was terribly tough, incisive and clear-minded."

Ecclestone also played down his spat with the Ferrari boss, adding: "Anyway, I respect his opinion. It's no drama.

"More than once he has attacked me, but in the end we understand each other. I don't have hard feelings towards him."