Ecclestone: I see no reason for big changes to F1 rules

"The last few races were like Formula 1 should be," said the sport's former supremo. "If it stays like that then I see no reason why it can't be as popular as it used to be."

Liberty Media took over from 88-year-old Ecclestone in 2017, and is now looking to implement big changes for 2021, but Ecclestone told Auto Motor und Sport: "I see no reason for big changes. If so, then they should go back to naturally aspired engines. But there's no courage for that."

Actually, Liberty plans to introduce a budget cap, and further cut costs by limiting the teams' technical freedoms.

"We don't need a budget cap," Ecclestone insists. "If the technical regulations are well written, there's no reason for that."

As for limiting freedoms, Ecclestone insisted that "technical competition is the DNA of Formula 1 and if we lose that, we lose Formula 1. If you cannot afford Formula 1, you should stay at home."

What Ecclestone does support is the reduction in driver penalties for on-track clashes, "Let them race! If you stop them, they are no longer racing drivers. I think the stewards relaxed a bit recently, but they could relax even more."