Dennis Chides 'Ringmaster' Ecclestone

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone should talk up the sport more and behave like a proper ringmaster, according to McLaren boss Ron Dennis.

Ecclestone has been quoted as criticising Formula One's new Saturday qualifying format as 'horrible', saying rule changes had taken away the excitement with strategy becoming as important as speed.

"We're all entitled to our own opinions," Dennis told reporters at the Brazilian Grand Prix. "But to use an analogy, if the ringmaster comes out he's not going to say 'watch lion number three because he's got a bad tummy today and he's not going to perform too well' or 'the clowns have got the flu'.

"Whatever the show is, the ringmaster should be wholeheartedly behind it irrespective of whether it is good, bad or indifferent. And that I am more than happy to criticise Bernie for. He's the ringmaster and he should behave like one."

Dennis has himself strongly opposed some of the changes introduced this season to cut costs and liven up the sport after a year of Ferrari domination. McLaren and Williams have announced their intention to take the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) to arbitration over the way in which the far-reaching rule changes were implemented.

Ironically, McLaren are leading the Championship after winning the first two races of the year.

Arbitration Hope

The FIA has blamed the pending arbitration, which is likely to take at least a year to reach a ruling, for their decision to delay a ban on so-called driver aids, such as traction control, until 2004. However, Dennis held up the hope at Interlagos that arbitration could ultimately be shelved.

"We fully acknowledge that so far we've had two great races," he said.

"I think a lot of the quality of the racing has come as a result of the changes that the teams had already suggested, the single-lap qualifying, and obviously the weather is playing a significant role and the odd driver makes a mistake.

"We're in a mindset as a team that we want Formula One to maintain the momentum that it has at the first two Grands Prix and if we have to modify our position to find the best way forward for Formula One, then we will do that."

Dennis said this would involve finding 'logical and rational solutions' to the problems that McLaren still saw with some of the existing rules. Formula One team principals are due to meet FIA head Max Mosley and Ecclestone ahead of the next San Marino Grand Prix to review the impact of the rule changes after the opening three long-haul 'flyway' races.

Asked if there was the possibility of a compromise being reached to remove the threat of arbitration, Dennis replied: "It's a costly time consuming process that we certainly would prefer to avoid.

"We have to achieve a satisfactory position for all the teams and until then we will go through the long and drawn-out process. But we've had very constructive dialogue with the FIA and some of the other teams and I'm optimistic that we'll find a good way forward."