Against growing calls for F1 to deliver a host of new rules to make itself more exciting and bring costs under control, Ecclestone recently expressed frustration about Todt's preference for never upsetting people.

In an interview with German channel ZDF last week, Ecclestone backed former FIA president Max Mosley's view that if F1 was going to deliver the right rules, then it would have to do so in defiance of the wishes of teams.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Ecclestone has now suggested that Todt may be waking up to that fact too.

"I think Jean is slowly but surely coming around to realising that we've got to pull some teeth out and we've got to get on and do it," Ecclestone said.

"If there's a bit of pain, that's how it is."

No role for Mosley

Mosley's appearance in the joint TV interview with Ecclestone prompted suggestions that the pair could be plotting some kind of move to seize more control of F1.

But Ecclestone has denied that Mosley wants any return to a proper role, or even wants to perform advisory functions.

"No, no, no," he said. "He's nothing to do with Formula 1 any more. He was only there because the TV people wanted to do an interview.

"He's nothing to do with it. It wasn't supposed to be fun, it was supposed to be serious, but never mind."