Bernie Ecclestone is seeking to return to V8 engines for F1 even if it means going head to head with the manufacturers.

Never a fan of the new 'green' formula introduced last year, Ecclestone had tried to stall its introduction as long as possible.

Always a critic of the sound, and even the need for an environmentally friendly F1, Ecclestone has looked on in despair as viewing figures tumble in the wake of Mercedes dominance.

The expensive and vastly complicated new power units, though a credit to the sport in terms of efficiency and reliability, have not proved a hit with fans and the confusing rules in terms of development have essentially led to several tiers of racing on the current grid.

Consequently, Ecclestone is looking at a return to V8s, even though such a move would need the consent of the teams in light of the fact that the current rules are meant to be in place until 2020. Nonetheless, the F1 supremo is considering making the move anyway.

"I don't think we should get consent from the teams," he told the {i]Independent. "I think we should just do it and say to them, 'If you don't like it you can go to arbitration'. We could get the V8s back next year. People can build them in no time so we ought to do it."

At the weekend, in a joint interview with Ecclestone, former FIA president, Max Mosley, who was behind the drive to introduce the new formula, warned that the engine manufacturers are essentially in control of the sport.

"The difficulty is that you have to have an independent engine supplier who can supply on a commercial basis," he told ZDF. "The great strength of Formula One from the late sixties until quite recently was that we had Cosworth, Mecachrome and other people making engines so we weren't in the hands of the manufacturers.

"The moment you have one or two or even three manufacturers and they are involved at board level so Mr Zetsche can talk to Mr Marchionne or Mr Ghosn then they control Formula One, you don't control Formula One. At that point the need for an independent engine supplier becomes acute."

"This engine shouldn't have been that complicated, to be honest with you," says Ecclestone. "It was only when the engineers got hold of it that it became complicated. The product is not fit for the purpose."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by mike, 22/10/2015 1:08

"I have been to 3 live races with my son. Indy and 2 in Austin. I will never spend another dime to go to a live race until the F1 SOUND is back. I can barely watch on TV.... Sound, power is F1... Conserving fuel going green is not. We also go to the NHRA Finials in Fontana every year and if they cut the sound in half and started running on batteries I wouldn't go to that either. I am just one fan who loved F1, watched every practice, qualifying and the race and now force myself to watch qualifying and FF through half the race... If this is what the sport has done to a hardcore fan good luck moving the sport forward.... Good luck Bernie"

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2. Posted by Spindoctor, 21/10/2015 13:44

"Very appropriate I'm reading this on "Back to the Future Day" (October 21st 2015).

So we go back to V-8s, virtually no other rule changes, Newey's chassis is the best, whatever team employs him wins all the races, its boring as hell. How is that better?

F1 IS EXPENSIVE. We can't go back to the garageists a la Chapman (and Dennis, Surtees et al). It was Bernie who wanted to make F1 so "glamourous" (so he could up the charges to circuits & for TV), but "glamour" costs.
Scrap Hybrids & its bye, bye MB & Honda, and maybe Ron will depart too just for the hell of it. Not even Ferrari is glamourous enough on its own.....

@scf1fan's idea of a fuel-limited formula is the most obvious solution, and he's absolutely correct that the hybrids would most likely win. It would then be up to the teams to see if they wanted to spend, spend, spend to be 1st.

"

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3. Posted by scf1fan, 20/10/2015 18:47

"@Oldbuzzard - It will be our loss. Honestly."

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4. Posted by klmn, 20/10/2015 18:36

"Bernie is desperate ... ha ha he always wanted that the teams were involved in the rule making ..Merc Mac and Ferrari don't want a change now.... and he is powerless ....
Bye bye Redbull ...who btw never wanted a change to help the small teams.
Ha ha the pinranha pond. Lover it."

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5. Posted by Oldbuzzard, 20/10/2015 17:22

"I've been advocating something like this for years. The performance can be equalized, to a degree, by the tires required all teams. Regulating fuel quantities leads to the dreaded fuel economy races. The hybrid/green engine rules are not for F1. Mercedes likes them because they have perfected the formula, hence they win everything. Ferarri don't care as they will build anything just to prove they can. A production V8 chould be built by 2016 and if Merc and Honda leave, who's loss is it? Honda is in the toilet and Merc is ruining the show. Good riddance. "

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6. Posted by scf1fan, 20/10/2015 16:12

"Let them run whatever they want . . . as long as they are required to do it on the same maximum amount of fuel. In which case, for whichever team is willing to spend the money, the hybrids will still win. If BE is going to outlaw the hybrids, prepare to lose MB and Honda. "

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7. Posted by GrahamG, 20/10/2015 15:26

"I hesitate to support a step "back" but the current engine concept has been a huge mistake and the quicker everyone realises it the better. It is not only massively complex and expensive it also makes the whole "sport" almost impossible to follow not only to new followers but also to long term ones. It is also by no means in line with where road car technology is going - LMP1 is much closer. Lets get back to 10 engines a season, a sensible engine cost cap, standard amount of fuel energy per event, no rpm restrictions and at the same time do away with all the synthetics - stupid tyre compounds, DRS, hyper rapid pitstops which require dozens of people (minimum stationery time 30 seconds say). "

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8. Posted by slracer, 20/10/2015 15:14

"If Bernie can do it, so can I! The other side of the Red Bull story is they have Infinity as one of their sponsors and an Infinity V8 would be interesting!"

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9. Posted by slracer, 20/10/2015 15:12

"But isn't it interesting that in back-to-back articles here on Pitpass that Bernie will take Red Bull & Toro Rosso to court if they don't abide with the contract, then says HE might ignore the contract to get V8's back on the grid? Good for the Goose and to He!! with the Gander (or vice versa)?"

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10. Posted by nonickname, 20/10/2015 15:08

"Seriously though, even Honda have a V8 that could be dropped in next year."

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11. Posted by nonickname, 20/10/2015 15:05

"Yes it is time to spank the bullies and move on and these are the guys to do it.
Anyone seen or heard anything from THE FROG lately?"

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12. Posted by SideGlance, 20/10/2015 13:14

"These current engines are dreadful and sound atrocious, GP2 is more interesting, too complex for any new engine makers - see Honda, no Cosworth as well, why not go back to a simpler and more even engine formula - You got my vote Ecc !!"

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Ecclestone looking to force return to V8s

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