Ecclestone: Schumacher Dominance Not a Turn-Off

Formula One ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone has insisted that Michael Schumacher's dominance of Formula One this season has strengthened the sport - despite claims that it is now a turn-off.

Four-time World Champion Schumacher has eased to victory in four of this year's five races prompting claims the Formula One has lost its appeal.

But Ecclestone has hit back and said that Schumacher's success has made the sport more interesting as the battle to prove he is beatable heats up.

"It's a package," Ecclestone told the Observer Sport Monthly magazine. "At the moment Ferrari have the best package. The best car, the best engine, most recently they also have had the best tyres, they've undoubtedly got the best driver, so that package works.

"Now if you went back to last year and took Michael out of the equation, it would have been very different."

Ecclestone believes that Schumacher's position in Formula One is similar to that previously held by Muhammed Ali in boxing - in that everybody wants to beat the champion.

"Michael motivates the team and that is not such a bad thing because if you look back in nearly all forms of sport, for example when boxing was at its peak, Muhammad Ali was the one," he added. "People were waiting to see who was going to beat him.

"People like to see a superstar, and then who is going to beat him. At Imola recently the conversation was all about who is going to beat Michael.

"And that's the interest. Can somebody beat him? So this race is over, and no one can beat Michael but the next race comes up. Can someone beat him here? Will it be his brother? There is always someone out there ready to beat the star."