F1 News
Ecclestone would bring back refuelling to F1 among other things
- Nicolás Quarles van Ufford
Former Formula 1 owner Bernie Ecclestone has said he would bring back refuelling to Formula 1 if it were up to him, as the Brit would make both refuelling and tyre changes during a race optional to make the races more strategic.
Ecclestone sold his stake in Formula 1 to American company Liberty Media a few years ago, taking a backseat now at 88 years of age.
When asked by ESPN how he would shake things up in F1 to make things more interesting, Ecclestone already explained how he would introduce a "Teams' Championship" on top of the existing championships, making things more interesting for potential newcomers.
When asked how the business magnate would go about balancing out things so smaller teams could compete with the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari, Ecclestone opted to bring back an old trope in F1 - refuelling.
"Firstly, if you want to, you can refuel," he told ESPN.
"You have just one set of tyres but, if you want to stop and refuel, you can also change tyres. Then maybe we'd have to change the weight of the car. If we found the team cars weren't quick, we'd make sure the constructors' cars were a bit heavier. That way, you could easily find two seconds.
"With a refuelling strategy and change of tyres, you'd find another, say, second a lap. But only if you want to do that. It's up to you. And one more thing; the teams could enter just one car, if they wanted."
Quite a lot to unpack, there. Ecclestone is convinced the idea of the third championship would solve the entertainment issue, and it would attract new teams as well, as he explains.
"I know for a fact that Volkswagen - through Audi - very nearly did it four years ago because I had come close to an agreement with them. But then they had all that trouble with emissions in America. They're confident their engineers are talented enough to design a car and engine that would be competitive within two years.
"You'd have the Constructors' World Championship and the winner could go out and say: "We're World Champions." The team people could say: "We won the Teams' World Championship." You'd have a sponsor for each championship.
"The guy in the grandstand isn't going to say: "That's not fair, because this team is spending $350m a year and that one is spending $70m." All he wants is good racing. And we'd get that. In my opinion, it would be bloody good. The idea is to balance up the two types of car and the teams spending $70m may have a chance on some occasions to be on the podium."
A lot of food for thought there! Our main question for you, our readers, is this; do you think these plans are realistic? Would teams accept these changes (as they're quite radical)? Or do you think this is easier said than done? Leave a comment and let us know!