Ecclestone Hopes F1 Changes for the Better

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has welcomed the raft of rule changes aimed at making the sport more competitive and hinted that even more alterations could be on the way.

In an interview published in Friday's Financial Times, Ecclestone did, however, admit that the wide-ranging modifications introduced by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) may still not be enough to counter charges that the sport had become boring.

The 2003 season begins in Melbourne on Sunday and after a year of almost total domination by Ferrari and waning television audiences, the FIA is banking on points, qualifying and strategy alterations to both improve racing as a spectacle and cut costs.

"There's nothing to stop further changes," Ecclestone said. "They are there for the season, but having said that, what's the good if I'm taking tablets to cure whatever and they're not working?

"I can take different tablets, I don't have to keep taking the same ones because I have a boxful. Until we get four or five competitive teams, there's not going to be a monumental change."

Ecclestone also said he was very much in favour of the rule change allowing the sale of engines to smaller independent teams from 2004, a move expected to help rein in the soaring costs of running an F1 team.

"So whereas Minardi is struggling now, can't afford to run a research and development department, it could just buy a BMW Williams engine - suddenly on the grid you've got another competitive car," he said.

While Ecclestone does not believe the current rule changes will alter the end result this season, he just hopes reigning champion Michael Schumacher wins by overtaking somebody on the last bend of the last Grand Prix of the season.

So at 72, Ecclestone faces a race against time to re-establish Formula One as a competitive sport and fend off the threat of a breakaway championship by the big carmakers who want the teams to enjoy more money and a greater say in the sport's management.

Of his own future, he says: "I suppose when I am no longer here you'll have a completely different structure and a different form of management. Maybe it'll be better. Provided it's not going to be a whole load of accountants and lawyers, it'll probably work.

"But it's a little bit like the rule changes, you won't know until it's happened. Certainly, I wouldn't want to leave things as they currently are. I'd like to leave when Formula One is back where it was. On the top."