London: Bernie Ecclestone has said Formula One will investigate ways of making the new 2014 machines sound “more like racing cars” as a matter of urgency, after Australian Grand Prix organisers on Monday threatened to sue for breach of contract.
Formula One’s 83-year-old chief executive, who was always implacably opposed to the switch from V8 engines to greener V6 turbos for this season, claimed that a modification could be made after just a few races if it was technically possible.
Ron Walker, the chairman of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and an old ally of Ecclestone’s, complained that the lack of noise in the season-opening grand prix on Sunday could affect future ticket sales. Walker told Melbourne’s The Age newspaper that it was “not what we paid for” and predicted that it would be an issue “for all promoters all round the world”.
He added that Ecclestone, who was not at the race, had been “horrified” by the noise levels.
Ecclestone said: “I was not horrified by the noise, I was horrified by the lack of it. Ron is right with regards to their contract. And I was sorry to be proved right with what I’ve said all along; these cars don’t sound like racing cars.
“I’ve been speaking with Jean [Todt, president of F1’s governing body, the FIA] this afternoon and what I’ve said is that we need to see whether there is some way of making them sound like racing cars.
“I don’t know whether it’s possible but we should investigate. I think let’s get the first few races out of the way and then maybe look to do something. We can’t wait all season. It could be too late by then.”
Ecclestone also said on Monday that he has had “one or two promoters get in touch with me today and they said how unhappy they are”. He said: “I spoke to [Ferrari president] Luca di Montezemolo just now and Luca said he’s never had as many emails complaining and saying this isn’t Formula One.”
Formula One’s first race with the new hybrid technology — V6 turbocharged engines allied to far more potent energy recovery systems — split both the paddock and fans in general. Some were encouraged by the race, which was won by Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg, believing that driver skill will have more of an influence on the race result, with less downforce and therefore less grip than before.
They also enjoyed the fact that you could hear the fans cheering above the noise of the engines — a novel development in Formula One.
Others bemoaned the fact that the loudest noise in Albert Park over the weekend came from the old V10 Minardi two-seater taking VIP passengers for laps of the circuit. Former Australian Test cricketer Dean Jones said in a tweet: “They sounded like golf carts.”
Walker said: “I walk in the botanical gardens and you could hear the sound of the twin-seater F1 car of Paul Stoddart’s sweeping around the circuit, but you couldn’t hear these new turbo cars. If you sat in the grandstand you could hardly hear them coming down the straight.
“We [the AGPC] are an entertainment company and we have to entertain the public. Everybody was talking about it. When you take the excitement away, you have trouble selling tickets. You have to create demand, and part of that demand is people liking the noise of the race cars. We are resolving that with Bernie. It’s clearly in breach of our contract. I was talking to him last on Sunday night and it’s not what we paid for. It’s going to change.”
The current contract for the race expires after next year’s event, with the Victoria state government, who pays for it, yet to sign an extension.
