Does Bernie want less safety?

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Never one to shy away from controversial ideas, Bernie Ecclestone just offered us his latest in terms of disputable comments.

Speaking ahead of the this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix, Ecclestone alluded to the fact that there was perhaps too much safety in Formula 1, and that what the sport needs is actually more crashes.

"In those days, and it can't happen again, people would come to a race and think somebody could get killed," Ecclestone told reporters.

"Today they know they come to a race and nobody is going to get killed. Which is good."

Ecclestone also offered his own solution to preventing drivers from exceeding track limits, a recurrent theme among drivers and race director Charlie Whiting lately.

"I've been criticized probably by everybody because I wanted to build 40cm walls around the corners. They keep saying they mustn't go off the road, I promise they won't."

But perhaps the Formula 1 supremo's most contentious comment was his view on how a driver's accident should be handled on site with regard to the media, using Fernando Alonso's horrific crash in Melbourne as a case in point.

"What Fernando had in Australia, you wouldn't think he was going to walk away," he said.

"What we ought to do immediately when that happens is have big sheets all the way around, bring the ambulance in and take him away.

"'He's gone to the hospital', you tell the viewers, and later on you announce that, 'thank God, he's out'. A bit of showbiz, people like that."

No doubt, Bernie will eventually tell us that his comments were made tongue in cheek, but Formula 1's new owners may fail to see the humour.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.