'Glad' Ecclestone flags less teams for F1

Although moves are afoot to fill the 13th team space in pitlane, Bernie Ecclestone thinks Formula One could actually lose a team in 2011.

And the F1 chief executive said a drop from 24 to 22 teams would be no bad thing.

"I would be glad," the Briton is quoted by Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"There is a long list of teams that want to be in Formula One," said Ecclestone. "Whether they have the ability and the resources is another story."

As well as F1's struggling and underfinanced teams, Ecclestone is also no supporter of FOTA, the teams alliance that last year waged with great influence a bitter political battle with the sport's authorities.

A new battle with FOTA is now hotting up, with teams reportedly ordered to remove sponsor-branded trucks from the Silverstone paddock.

"The teams wanted to divide F1, but now they understand that it is good to give importance to the money that they get (from FOM)," said Ecclestone.

"There is no space for FOTA..."