Over the years, Bernie Ecclestone - a man never reluctant in sharing his opinion - has had more than his fair share of Gerald Ratner moments.

Only a week or so ago he said the sport was the worst it has ever been and that he wouldn't pay to take his family to watch it.

A long term critic of the new formula - even when it was in the embryonic stage - Ecclestone's view has rarely faltered, especially when nothing looked likely to derail the Mercedes juggernaut.

Now however, realising that the constant sniping might damage the cash cow, Todt has called on Ecclestone to cease the criticism... at least publicly.

"Can you imagine someone going to see a new movie if the director said 'My film is shit'?" he told Auto Bild. "If you want to sell a product, criticism must be internal, not external. We have to represent a positive image of Formula One again."

However, it is not just the new formula that Ecclestone has criticised, the Briton recently suggesting that the FIA should appoint someone to govern the sport directly, clearly feeling that Todt has become invisible as he travels the globe on other FIA business.

"The FIA has two pillars," argued the Frenchman, "motorsport and mobility. One of my priorities is traffic safety. Each year 1.3 million people die on the road... 500 children every day.

"Formula One is a luxury problem," he added. "It would be entirely out of place if the president of the FIA was concerned about the details of F1. But I do have good support people."

Meanwhile, drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso were sharing their thoughts on the current state of the sport, and it wasn't too dissimilar to Ecclestone's.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by ClarkwasGod, 04/03/2016 19:23

"@youstartedit

The Euro crash test standards were introduced by the FIA (under Mosley's tenure), as just one example.

@Spindoctor:
Maybe time to resurrect FISA as an autonymous arm of the FIA and put someone in charge with the "balls" to get things sorted - Ari Vatenen comes to mind, for one. However, the teams are participants in the sport, no more than that. The regs should be drawn up, and they be given two options - race to those regs, or don't bother entering. With their involvement, self-interest will always overcome the best interest of the sport (as in any sport)."

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2. Posted by You Started It!!, 04/03/2016 17:24

"I've never seen anything the FIA that's helped safety done in this country. "

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3. Posted by Jonno, 04/03/2016 15:41

"It's time Bernie was taken in front of the FIA beaks and charged with bringing the sport into disrepute. That should fetch in another £100m for them.

"

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4. Posted by Spindoctor, 04/03/2016 15:29

"@ClarkwasGod
All dictators always claim to be "benevolent", but by their actions shall ye know them (&c.)
I'd prefer a benevolent elected Official myself, one who is dedicated solely to F1 and who does not represent any vested interest, particularly NOT CVC or Berrnie.

The Teams should be listened to, but not obeyed..."

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5. Posted by ClarkwasGod, 04/03/2016 15:05

"Todt's priorities are very clear, although he does not state his number one priority - that of rising to President of France. Obviously making strides in road safety will have a far greater influence on that, than any efforts on the state of F1. That aside, his style of trying to appease all parties just does not work - remember how successful the same policy was for one Neville Chamberlain (apart from buying valuable time). A benevolent dictator is required for the sporting side of the FIA to bring the F1 teams to heel."

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6. Posted by gturner38, 04/03/2016 12:40

"Mosley used to dangle the "actions detrimental to sport" clause from the regulations every once in a while when the critical voices were a little too public. Maybe it's time the FIA did that again.

If WEC operated the way F1 does, we'd see their prologue test include half a dozen comments about inappropriate driver rankings, a couple team bosses questioning the need for driver rankings or the drive time requirements, two teams publicly crying about their BoP, Rebellion saying they can't compete with the factory teams, and two LMP2 teams crying poverty. The truth of the matter is that those issues likely all exist but no one will make a big deal out of them in public."

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7. Posted by Spindoctor, 04/03/2016 11:12

"I actually agree that Bernie needs to shut up. His senile ramblings are a disgrace to something purporting to be a World Sport. However it's not about Public discord damaging F1, it's because what he says is intrinsically damaging: whether it's his political views ("democracy is rubbish") or his ideas about how to "improve" F1.

I'd much rather have him broadcasting his poisonous views far and wide, so they can be seen and ridiculed for what they are; than have him dripping them surreptitiously into the ears of those with the power to Manage and change F1."

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Todt tells Ecclestone to stop criticising F1

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