Drivers blamed for lack of passing

Although there is no doubt that the complex aerodynamics of modern F1 cars have made it difficult for drivers to overtake, Ecclestone insists that it is still possible for plenty of passing moves to take place.

And on the back of the sensational Japanese Grand Prix last year, where Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso charged through the field from the back of the grid, Ecclestone has said he is baffled about why there are so many times drivers claim they cannot overtake.

"You have to ask the drivers about it," he said at the Autosport International Show. "If they want to overtake there is nothing stopping them.

"When someone gets sent to the back of the grid they don't seem to have many problems getting through to second or third but when they start third they seem to have a problem getting through to first."

The FIA has vowed to introduce a radical Centreline Downwash Generating (CDG) double rear wing for 2008 in a bid to help drivers overtake.