Former Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone said that "it is inevitable" that manufacturers have criticized the proposed '21 F1 engine regulations and the rules "should have been left untouched or changed much more radically," according to Adam Cooper of MOTORSPORT. Ecclestone "believes the changes involve too much extra expense on top of the existing investment." He said, "The trouble is they've all spent a fortune on these bloody engines. And they don't want to go back to their boards and say, 'We need another few quid because we need to modify the engines.'" Ecclestone is skeptical about the prospect of Liberty Media "being able to execute the changes it wants to make to grand prix racing." He said, "They shouldn't have made so many predictions, should they, as to what they could do. They should have waited to see what can be done." Ecclestone questioned Liberty's "unprecedented investment in marketing and F1's enlarged commercial department," having always maintained that his brief from previous owner CVC "was to keep costs in check and bring in a profit." Liberty recently announced a reduced profit and "hence less income for teams, due in part to the extra investment." Ecclestone: "You have television every couple of weeks and television during the off-period, and the teams are all talking, everybody's talking." He "also expressed doubts" about Liberty's aim of having more F1 races in the U.S., "having tried to establish F1 in many American venues over the decades, most recently in New Jersey." Ecclestone added, "I want to see them get more races in America. As they don't seem to be looking for money, maybe it's possible. If you're looking to make money, that's not the way to do it. That's why I went east" (MOTORSPORT, 11/20).
