Bernie Ecclestone says regulations central factor in new Concorde Agreement talks

Bernie Ecclestone has told The F1 Show that ongoing debate over Formula 1's future regulations, rather than money, is the central issue that continues to delay the new Concorde Agreement.

Speaking in the Team Principals' Press Conference in India on Friday, several leading figures, including McLaren and FOTA chief Martin Whitmarsh, had made clear that ensuring the long-term sustainability of the grid was paramount for F1's next era of rules. The cost of the new generation of turbo engines scheduled to be introduced in 2014 has long been a concern for some of the grid's smaller teams and asked by Martin how a Caterham or Marussia would be able to afford the new units, Ecclestone replied: "That's what we're tying to have a look at. See how we can overcome these problems." A long-time critic of the new engine format, Ecclestone admitted that while he thinks the change to V6 turbos is "not necessary" he doubts there will be any change to its 2014 introduction. Following Friday morning's meeting at the Buddh International Circuit, several leading team principals appeared in the post-practice press conference, with the consensus among them being that the meeting with Ecclestone had proved constructive. Lotus Team Principal Eric Boullier said: "I think we had some positive and constructive meetings altogether with Bernie and the FIA and even if we are still far let's say to closing and signing any Concorde Agreement, even if I think it should not take long now, with the global vision for Formula 1 I think we all believe there is some positives." McLaren counterpart Whitmarsh, meanwhile, said that the teams had approached the negotiations mindful of the need to ensure the sport's wider long-term interests were served. "I think in the short term we've all got our own self-interests but in the longer term we've all got the same interest and I think that's that the sport is successful, exciting and also viable," he said. "I think we've got to recognise there is quite a lot of challenge for a lot of teams at the moment and it's important that all of us reach for compromise, find a way forward that makes sure that we can sustain all those teams. "The good thing is that this isn't the old era which was I think very confrontational and probably good for the media but less good for the sport. I think that people are working together recognising that now is not the time to have wars, now is the time to be constructive, where necessary compromise, find a positive way forward for the sport."