Ecclestone responds to F1 teams over EU complaint

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says he does not blame Force India and Sauber for lodging a complaint to the European Union opposing the sport’s governance and payment structure.

Both midfield outfits target F1 owners CVC Capital Partners for handing around $250 million (£165 million) in extra monies to the five biggest squads (Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren, and Williams) on top of the normal prize money schedule.

“We haven't discouraged or encouraged anybody to do anything,” Ecclestone told Autosport. “That's what the European Union is there for, for these sorts of things.

“[Force India and Sauber] must give it a go, and if they're successful it's good, and if not then it costs nothing.”

Having shrugged off a potential EU investigation into F1 when the prospect first surfaced earlier this year, the commercial rights chief remains quite unfazed by the two squads' decision to put words into action.

“The bottom line is, what they are saying is we're giving too much money to some people and not enough to the others. But all this was done whereby everybody knew what they would be getting and what would happen, and they all signed contracts which were very clear.

“They've had a change of heart I suppose, and I don't blame them, not at all. Somebody will have a look at it and either decides the agreements they've signed are valid and they stick by them, or they're not valid and they have to be changed.

“From our point of view it won't make any difference at all.”

Ecclestone insists the extra revenues given to the top teams, known as premium payment and secured in early 2012 under bilateral agreements, are clearly mentioned in the contracts signed by all F1 teams.

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