Ecclestone's rules plan could hit legal roadblock

Jul.18 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone plans to see F1's major teams decide the technical regulations could hit a legal roadblock.

Bernie Ecclestone, CEO Formula One Group

Photo by: xpb.cc

When revealing that all the teams have agreed to a new Concorde Agreement for 2013, the sport's chief executive said recently: "Now what we've got to do is look at how the technical regulations are made.

"It should be the teams, though not all the teams, who do that. They are the people who have to come up with the money, not the FIA.

"It would be the established teams who are here to stay - Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes and probably Williams as old timers - deciding what to do."

A 'legal insider', however, questioned Ecclestone's plan to have the teams make the rules and the FIA simply police them.

"It affects competition," the source told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, "because it gives the teams that determine the rules - and therefore know what they are before anyone else - an unfair advantage.

"That would amount to an abuse of power," added the source.

The FIA, who currently write the F1 rules, is yet to sign up to the 2013 Concorde.

The insider said the Jean Todt-led federation, or the teams not selected to write the rules, could legally challenge Ecclestone's plans.