Bernie Ecclestone Q & A

We need to get our act together. We haven't got a very good act at the moment. It's nobody's fault, you can't blame Ferrari for winning - they've all got the same regulations. I know Ron Dennis and Frank Williams and Flavio Briatore and Eddie Jordan are all kicking their people to get their act together because there's no reason why they shouldn't be much better than they are. No reason at all.



"No I don't think it will be. I think you'll see those teams much more competitive. I'm not going to say that Michael won't win another world championship, because I think he will, but I don't think he'll win it that easily."



"Young Kimi Raikkonen at McLaren is doing a good job, and so are Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher. I'd like to see Jacques Villeneuve in a competitive car - I'd like to see him sitting beside Michael . I think we'd get some good racing out of him as well."



"The trouble is that the technicians have got in front of the drivers. It's not decrying what Michael does and the other drivers do, but their lives are certainly a lot easier than they should be. I watched the on-board camera with Michael and he was sitting there like he was just going to the shops - no problem at all."



"If I could, one tyre formula, cut out electronics and reduce the aerodynamic effect on the car. That would be a big step forward."



"We've got a little bit of a problem here. Maybe we could see qualifying time on Friday as well and have a one hour session split into two 30 minute sessions with say eight or ten laps in each. Then you aggregate the times from each session and carry over that time to Saturday and do the same again. Then you've probably got 20 laps of qualifying in total."



"It'll never happen. On Friday whatever time they have they won't test - they'll work on their car for qualifying or the race. We're certainly looking into the whole business about testing and how to restrict it. The biggest problem is when they test on Grand Prix circuits. If one goes they all have to go in case its raining on that day and they haven't got their car set up for that come qualifying or the race. So they all go. The teams have got test teams, and these guys like to go and test - it's like playing with a model railway. They leave the wife and the kids at home and they have good wine so they like to go and test as often as possible. But they certainly spend an awful lot of money so they need to cut back."



"Well I hope the teams are going to improve it I really do, but I think perhaps the television companies are guilty. ITV only produce one race a year and do a good job, but there are other countries where the host producers perhaps don't do such a good job. It's no good hanging on if Michael jumps off at the start and there's no need to follow him. You need to be with him when he stops, but there's so much super racing that goes on down the field to see if we can produce the television for worldwide with one director."



"A lot more camera shots, a lot more better graphics, a lot more on-board camera a lot more of everything and possibly interviews during races and qualifying. A much bigger choice."