F1: Ecclestone resumes push for engine changes

This year's change from 2.4-liter V8 engines to 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 hybrid units has seen costs rise from a reported $8m to $23-30m for customer teams. Ecclestone suggests a switch would both help struggling independent teams.

"I have been proposing we go back to a normally-aspirated engine with some hybrid bits built into it," Ecclestone told Britain's Sky Sports. "The teams, manufacturers will have to call it a 'McLaren hybrid', 'Ferrari hybrid' or a 'Williams hybrid'. It's so we get across the message they are hybrids, but nobody tells anybody.

"It's the best-kept secret, actually, as to what this engine is for, why it was designed and what have we achieved with it because it is a fantastic bit of engineering, it really is."

With both Caterham and Marussia falling into bankruptcy administration and fellow independents Force India, Sauber and Lotus all facing some degree of financial pressure, Ecclestone thinks changing the engine formula would help address the thorny issue of costs in F1.

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"We recognize the biggest problem these teams have is the amount they have to spend on the power unit," Ecclestone told Sky. "I believe if you got everybody in the room, secret ballot, there would only be one company interested in retaining this engine, and that is Mercedes. You can't blame them because they have done a super job, and the others haven't, so they've a big advantage."

Ecclestone added that his proposal would be unnecessary if the manufacturers agreed to a way of reducing costs with the current formula.

"If they're prepared to reduce the cost of the engine then the problem disappears, then there's no need for a new engine. We keep what we have."