Mercedes and Red Bull have "joined Ferrari in reportedly moving against" F1's long-time CEO Bernie Ecclestone, according to GMM. Reports recently suggested Ferrari President Sergio Marchionne proposed that the 85-year-old Briton "be replaced by a new, three-pronged leadership team." When asked about the "viability" of Ecclestone's continuing reign, Mercedes Motorsport Dir Toto Wolff said, "Some may think they are immortal, and that performance remains the same. However, there is a great responsibility to the sport to do what is right for the future." Red Bull Dir Helmut Marko has a "similar view, backing Marchionne's vision of a three-person leadership team perhaps involving Niki Lauda." Marko said, "When I think about the sporting side, then for me Niki Lauda is one of the hottest candidates." What is clear, however, is that "the anti-Ecclestone rhetoric is heating up amid an intense political climate in F1 at present." Referring to recent headlines attracted by controversial comments by Ecclestone, Wolff said, "Irrationality and excessive emotion has no place in the job" (GMM, 5/5).
STOP MOANING: In London, Kevin Eason reported Ecclestone told Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton to "stop moaning" as the British world champion's team took the "extraordinary step of writing an open letter to fans who have accused the team of sabotage." Mercedes took on the "haters, naysayers and conspirators" who flooded social media in the belief that the team is "deliberately favouring Nico Rosberg." Ecclestone "cut through the emotion on the grid before the start of the Russian Grand Prix to tell Hamilton to get on with his job." He said, "I told him to get on with it because there are 17 races left. It is not the end of the world. He wasn't moaning when he was winning, was he?" (LONDON TIMES, 5/5).
