Ecclestone: Rival Series Won't Happen

Formula One commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone believes the GPWC breakaway series will not happen despite the threats from the group

The manufacturers alliance of BMW, Renault, DaimlerChrysler, Honda and Toyota want most of the revenues, a level playing field and far greater transparency, and they have threatened to create their own championship once the current Concorde Agreement expires at the end of 2007.

At the moment most of the money goes to Ecclestone's holding company SLEC, now controlled by three banks.

Only World Champions Ferrari have committed to staying in the FIA Formula One series beyond 2007, while the rest of the teams are still to reach an agreement with Ecclestone.

The F1 supremo, however, believes the rival series will never happen.

"I don't think it will happen and I don't think they even want it to happen," Ecclestone told The Independent.

"You know, we never invited the manufacturers into Formula One. They saw it as a showcase, like an enormous car showroom for them to sell their products, and the way they're acting at the moment they're dirtying the glass, so people can't see in.

"Unfortunately, these people have the mentality that 90 per cent of 50 is better than 70 per cent of 100. It all stems from the fact that their arithmetic is not very good."

Ecclestone also said democracy doesn't work well in Formula One and claimed team bosses were jealous of him.

"Look, when I built Formula One, I'd come up with ideas and people supported me," Ecclestone said. "Now, everybody wants to have an argument. [Lotus owner] Colin Chapman, Mr [Enzo] Ferrari, those were historic people. They didn't rely on lawyers, they didn't know what lawyers were.

"A lot of what's going on now stems from the fact that they [the team owners] are terribly jealous, of me and of each other.

"The fact is that democracy doesn't work that well. When I built this sport I wouldn't tolerate compromise. It's a lot more difficult now."