Bernie Ecclestone has said that some unspecified F1 teams have been a “nuisance” and that the sport would not miss them if they were to drop out.
In a clear reference to the newer teams, Ecclestone said that with the exception of Lotus, he did not understand what they had brought.
“All we ever want is 10 teams,” he told the Daily Telegraph. “Lotus is a good name. I wouldn’t want to lose them. But in general this year has been a bit of a nuisance because it has cost money to keep these [struggling] teams in. It has cost a lot of money to pay for them to compete.
“The bottom line is they haven’t really and truly given us value for being there. If suddenly these teams don’t turn up at races then I don’t think the crowds will get any smaller, or the TV sets will turn off, or the newspapers will stop writing, will they?”
The words will be music to the ears of drivers and more established teams who have criticised the slower cars on the grid this season.
