Formula One: Ecclestone Won’t Let Mosley ‘Destroy’ Ferrari

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has pledged to help Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo in his battle against the FIA’s Max Mosley.

Di Montezemolo and Mosley are currently involved in a power struggle after the Italian openly criticised the 2010 budget cap, opposing the de-facto two-tier championship it will create.

The comments prompted Mosley to hit back, saying the Formula One circus can “survive without Ferrari” , inflaming the war of words and further damaging the storied manufacturer’s relationship with the FIA.

Ecclestone however has decided to assume the role of peacemaker, telling The Times he will not let Mosley “destroy” the Ferrari President (above).

“I won’t let it happen,” he said. “The trouble with Luca is that you shouldn’t let Max ever be in a position where he can start a debate or an argument.

“He’s reasonably clever and you won’t win. Even if you do win, it’s like you being in the audience and me being there with the microphone. You say something smart and I don’t give you the microphone, it’s as easy as that.”

While a majority of Formula One teams support the implementation of a budget cap, concerns remain over the £40 million limit set by the FIA, and the subsequent ruling restricting the performance of non-capped teams.

As part of a compromise deal, Ecclestone indicated the level would likely be raised in exchange for a single set of regulations.

“It would appear that everyone is in favour of the cap, including Ferrari, if we can get them to agree, which we can,” he said.

“However, there is concern over the amount that is referred to in the cap for some of the teams and also the two-tier system. So these are probably not monumental things to sort out.”