Breaking news
Formula 1
Boycott could cost drivers F1 licenses - Ecclestone
F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has warned drivers at the Nurburgring
GMM
Edited: Jul 6, 2013, 9:11 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Jul.6 (GMM) F1 drivers risk losing their mandatory FIA super licenses if a boycott of this weekend's German Grand Prix goes ahead.
That is the warning at the Nurburgring of F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.
"I can understand their position," the 82-year-old told Germany's Die Welt newspaper.
"It's not Pirelli's neck, or my neck, on the line.
"But there is a big difference between thinking something and going through with it.
"If they do boycott the race, which wouldn't help anyone or solve the problems any faster, then they could lose their super license," Ecclestone warned.
The inimitable Kimi Raikkonen, not a member of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, counted himself out of any boycott threat.
"Everyone has their opinion," the Finn is quoted by Brazil's Totalrace.
"I will race when I want and that's it."
Mercifully, the quick-fire changes made by Pirelli and the FIA since Silverstone have apparently solved the tyre-exploding problem, as three smooth hours of practice went ahead on Friday.
"It's extremely unlikely that those problems will come back," Mercedes' Nico Rosberg said on Friday.
Ecclestone backed the embattled Pirelli.
"A tyre manufacturer, no matter what it's name, cannot develop reliable tyres if it cannot test properly," he said.
He likened Silverstone 2013 to Imola 1994, when Ayrton Senna's death put the issue of driver safety right at the top of the agenda.
"It (Imola) was extremely sad, but it saved many lives afterwards. So now it's the same with the tyre problem.
"Thank god no one was injured, but we must quickly learn the lessons from it. That's the only positive (from the tyre-exploding saga)," the Briton said.
It is possible the once-controversial shift from steel to kevlar-belted tyres will shuffle the pecking order, but Lewis Hamilton thinks any change will be minor.
"Force India aren't just going to start winning, that sort of thing," he is quoted by the Mirror.
But Force India's Adrian Sutil - another driver who like Raikkonen will not necessarily join a boycott - thinks the change of tyres for the Nurburgring and beyond is still controversial.
"Well," he is quoted by Speed Week, "it is clear that the tyres are made for the top teams.
"That's how Formula One has always been. Too bad, because we are punished for our good work, the others get their new tyres and go back to the front, and Formula One is boring again," Sutil moaned.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Ecclestone considers buying Nurburgring
Next article Rumours swirl around struggling Sauber's future
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
GMM
The season is still very long - Rosberg
Formula 1
Formula 1
The season is still very long - Rosberg
Jules Bianchi's father speaks of family's continued hopes
Formula 1
Formula 1
Jules Bianchi's father speaks of family's continued hopes
Sauber under no illusions about constructors' position
Formula 1
Formula 1
Chinese GP
Sauber under no illusions about constructors' position
More from
Lewis Hamilton
‘I’ll try to win, somehow’ – Can Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen fight back for F1 Brazilian GP victory?
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
23 h
‘I’ll try to win, somehow’ – Can Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen fight back for F1 Brazilian GP victory?
F1 Brazilian GP: Sunday schedule, weather forecast and how to watch
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
F1 Brazilian GP: Sunday schedule, weather forecast and how to watch
More from
Mercedes
Charles Leclerc penalised for Liam Lawson clash; Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman also punished after F1 Brazilian GP
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
15 h
Charles Leclerc penalised for Liam Lawson clash; Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman also punished after F1 Brazilian GP
Kimi Antonelli: "Weird" spin and car instability cost F1 Brazilian GP win
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
16 h
Kimi Antonelli: "Weird" spin and car instability cost F1 Brazilian GP win
Latest news
Aprilia: “Marco Bezzecchi couldn’t avoid the collision; Marc Marquez moved in on him"
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
46 min
Aprilia: “Marco Bezzecchi couldn’t avoid the collision; Marc Marquez moved in on him"
How the Racing Bulls pendulum is swinging back towards undeniable Liam Lawson
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
1 h
How the Racing Bulls pendulum is swinging back towards undeniable Liam Lawson
How Max Verstappen beat Red Bull's own simulation tools with P2 in Brazil
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
1 h
How Max Verstappen beat Red Bull's own simulation tools with P2 in Brazil
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe