F1: Ecclestone ready to vote with Todt at "watershed" meeting

Formula 1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone is prepared to join forces with FIA president Jean Todt in a bid to push through change at this week's meeting of F1's Strategy Group.

Ecclestone and Todt are ready to take the teams to task in Thursday's meeting in London, which has been described by Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley as a "watershed" event. The meeting is so crucial to the future of F1 even Donald Mackenzie, the co-chairman of F1's primary shareholders CVC Capital Partners, is to make a rare appearance as an observer.

With six votes apiece for FIA and FOM, and one apiece for each of the six teams involved - Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull, Williams and Force India – Todt and Ecclestone have an opportunity to out-vote the teams.

Ecclestone will meet Todt for dinner on Wednesday to run through matters, and the 84-year-old told AUTOSPORT: "If Jean was happy to fall into line, then yeah, there would be no problem at all. We don't have to talk to anyone.

"He's happy to do that, and we have done that, but what he won't do is really stand up and say, 'This is how it is.' With me, if I was a doctor and I knew I had to cut off somebody's arm to save their life, then there wouldn't be a discussion.

"The problem is we have this democracy in our sport, and in our case it's even worse because you have people in competition with one another. Obviously, you are not going to do anything to help somebody to beat you, so it's very difficult. But I'll speak with Jean and we'll see what happens."

A FIA/FOM alliance would at least push through any proposals to the next F1 Commission meeting, generating time to overcome obstacles bearing in mind 100 percent agreement is required to finalize an issue.

A proposal to use five engines per driver this season, rather than the current four, is expected to be voted against. However, on the table is a ban on wind tunnels, which could save some teams in the region of $15-20 million per year in running costs.

Should that fail, there will also be a proposal from the smaller teams for a revised payment structure for engines to the manufacturers, and potentially another call for a more equitable share of the sport's revenues.

Other matters include a switch to 1000hp engines, as well the running of 425mm rear tires from the current width of 375mm.

TEAMS WANT CHANGE TOO

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner (RIGHT, with McLaren boss Ron Dennis) agreed that it was time for resolution of these key issues.

"Things need to come to a head," he told AUTOSPORT. "Changing the wheel nuts and standardizing gear ratios is not going to help the little teams, have an impact on costs for the bigger teams, or improve the show. You have to look at something much more fundamental than that.

"It needs to be taken out of the teams' hands, because I don't think the teams will ever agree. There is too much vested interest, too much competitive advantage or disadvantage people are trying to protect or expose.

"If the FIA [Todt] and FOM [Ecclestone] are fully aligned, it doesn't matter what the teams say. They just need to agree between themselves on what they want."

Emphasizing the importance of the meeting, Force India's Fernley told AUTOSPORT: "It's going to set the tone for the future and have a massive impact on the independent teams. It's going to be a watershed meeting, it's of that importance.

"If nothing happens at all – which has been the historic precedence – then as a team we will have to look at how we do things in Formula 1. I'm not saying our future is on the line, it's how we participate in it and be able to pay for a competitive package."

Originally on Autosport.com