Formula 1 commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed that teams can run with three cars next year should there be eight teams remaining on the grid.
Rumours of having three cars per team have risen from various teams down the grid having widely-known financial hardships. Including the likes of Marussia and Caterham, who occasionally struggle to fund for transport, car upgrades and the complex V6 hybrid power units, having their future in the sport questioned.
The aforementioned teams have recently looked to altering their driver lineup in an attempt to put themselves on a better financial platform. Marussia originally had reserve driver Alexander Rossi in place for Max Chilton for Spa due to the latter’s contractual issues, while Caterham also sidelined Kamui Kobayashi for three-time Le Mans 24 champion Andre Lotterer to get them back on track for their elusive 10th place in the constructors championship to gain extra prize money.
Ecclestone, in reference t0 the financially unstable teams, was uncertain of the possibility of the teams remaining in the sport for the long run, saying that he had “no idea, absolutely no idea”. when interviewed by Sky.
“We have a regulation that says if we lose three teams the other teams will run three cars,” the 83-year old added.
When asked about his thoughts on the limitations on the use of team radio communication, Ecclestone was in favour of the alterations made to interactions between driver and personnel on the pit-wall when on-track.
“I don’t think it’s [the excessive radio messages] are necessary, these drivers don’t need any help. In fact the regulations prohibit that”.
