Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone said that Mercedes and Ferrari's stranglehold on rule-making risks "destroying" the sport, according to Andrew Benson of the BBC. F1's commercial boss said that Mercedes and Ferrari were "blocking changes he wants to make the sport more competitive." Ecclestone said, "We're trying to save the sport and these people are trying to save it for their own good." He added that Ferrari had written a legal letter saying governing body FIA "did not have the right" to grant Ecclestone a "mandate" to make changes. Ecclestone said that the influence of Mercedes and Ferrari as engine suppliers to more than half the grid means they have "complete control" of the F1 Commission, the final stage of the legislative process before the World Council. He said that when Mercedes F1 Exec Dir Toto Wolff "puts his hand up and says Christmas is going to be 26 December, everybody agrees -- same with Ferrari." Ecclestone drew a comparison between Mercedes' domination and that of McLaren-Honda in '88, "when Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost won 15 of the 16 races between them." He said that while Senna won eight and Prost seven, ensuring a close championship, "the problem with Mercedes was that Hamilton was much more dominant" (BBC, 12/10). MOTORSPORT's Jonathan Noble reported Ecclestone is adamant that "something needs to be done to turn around declining audiences, even if such moves end up upsetting the teams." He said, "There is all sorts of things we know we can do and should do to make F1 back on the road where it should be, because we are in show business. We are there to entertain the public. We are not there to put on a show for Mercedes to demonstrate and sell their cars. Or Ferrari" (MOTORSPORT, 12/10).
BRINK OF QUITTING: In London, Kevin Eason reported McLaren driver Jenson Button "has admitted that he was on the brink of quitting Formula One as his McLaren team sank to their worst year since 1980." The British driver "wobbled as poor results piled up and he questioned whether he wanted a seventh year with the team, particularly in a car powered by a struggling hybrid engine supplied by Honda." It took a lot of persuasion from McLaren CEO Ron Dennis, and "Button’s engineers and associates in the team to talk him round." Button's "crisis of confidence reached its climax at the Japanese Grand Prix where Dennis got off his sickbed to fly to Suzuka to convince his driver to stay on." Button signed a new £12M ($18.2M) deal "within days" (LONDON TIMES, 12/10)
