Bernie Ecclestone wouldn’t be concerned if one or more teams folded resulting in a smaller grid, believing they shouldn’t be in the sport if they can’t afford it.
The billionaire expressed his views on a number of topics, but was most passionate about the proposals to reduce spending in the sport, something he doesn’t believe to be necessary as it will weed out the weaker teams.
“In fact, I would be happy [if the grid shrank],” he is quoted as saying by Autosport. “It’s like a poker game. You don’t know the other players.
“They should not be in the game. You should not be in this business if you cannot afford it.”
Another area he was unhappy with, particularly in Austria, was the stewards decision to punish drivers for running wide at turn eight.
“We have too many rules that are not necessary,” added the 83-year-old. “When a driver crosses a white line he will be punished. That’s wrong.
“Drivers are racers and they want to go racing, so let them do so.
“The stewards should be locked in their room and take a look into any infringements after the race, not during the competition.”
Meanwhile, with falling TV viewers partly being blamed on Mercedes’ domination of the sport, he doesn’t see that as a problem as long as the pair are allowed to race one another.
“No, because we often had a dominating team,” he said. “As long as the two team-mates race each other properly, it is no problem.”
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