Ecclestone Says F1 Regulations Too Complex

Formula One regulations are too complicated and need clarifying, according to the sport's supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

"I think the regulations that we currently have are not clear," the weekly British Autosport magazine quoted him as saying on Thursday.

"It's very difficult for a team to know what to do.

"The FIA (International Automobile Federation) say they will be the people who will decide whether something complies with the regulations or not -- but the regulations are such that it's difficult for a team to know if they are complying.

"I think it's completely wrong that, if you want to make some changes, you need to ask (the FIA) in advance."

Formula One has had several disqualifications and controversial rulings of late, with appeal hearings deciding the outcome of races.

Last season Ferrari were disqualified in Malaysia, a move that would have confirmed McLaren's Mika Hakkinen as champion, for a technical infringement before being re-instated on appeal and leaving the title race open to the last.

Hakkinen won the title but this year had his Austrian Grand Prix win called into question after a seal was found to be missing from his car.

He was eventually allowed to keep his points but the team lost theirs and were fined.

Team mate David Coulthard was disqualified in Brazil after finishing second when his McLaren failed a post-race inspection because the front wing was five millimetres too low.

At Odds With Max

Ecclestone said the FIA should be in the position of "pure sporting regulators" only, leaving the teams and promoters to decide on other matters.

The Briton also said that he had more arguments with FIA president Max Mosley, a compatriot and ally of his since the days when they were Formula One team owners in the 1970s, than with any teams.

"I don't agree with a lot of the things that Max does, and he probably doesn't agree with everything I do," he said.

Mosley met team chiefs and Formula One powerbrokers in London on Wednesday to discuss the future of the sport and proposals to shorten the grand prix weekend to just Saturday and Sunday by cutting out Friday practice.

Autosport said some top teams, who do not vote in the FIA elections, had wanted to oust Mosley because they felt he meddled too much in the sport.

Ecclestone confirmed that some teams were complaining that "Max is interfering in things that they say have nothing to do with him".

The Guardian newspaper, citing insiders, reported on Thursday that there was a "highly-charged exchange" at the meeting and Mosley "vigorously rebutted any suggestions that the governing body had been showing partiality towards Ferrari".

It quoted team owner Eddie Jordan as saying afterwards that it had been "a good day, very productive and a good open forum."

Strain

Jordan said on Thursday that he was concerned that changes might put an added strain on teams and their staff.

Mosley has suggested a Grand Prix could keep its current format if teams agreed to limit the amount of testing they perform at Grand Prix circuits.

That in turn would force many to rearrange their schedules and test at other circuits as well as Grand Prix ones.

"It's one thing to have elementary testing and practice sessions but we have to have good relations with our staff," Jordan said. "All of our staff have families and we have a duty to give them time off to spend with them."