EXCLUSIVE: Ecclestone slams environmentally-friendly F1 era as a 'totally absurd farce'

Bernie Ecclestone, an old racer at heart, has condemned the new greener, quieter and slower era of Formula One as ‘totally absurd’.



He was responding to the evidence of this week’s first pre-season test in Jerez, where several teams have struggled with the unfamiliar fuel-efficient engines – which, even when they have run, have proved only a fraction as loud as the old V8s with their banshee scream.



As Ecclestone spoke, Red Bull’s top brass, Christian Horner and Adrian Newey, were skulking away in mid-afternoon, unable to do any more testing after they grappled to fit their Renault-supplied power unit into the chassis. Overheating was the result.

Totally absurd! FI supremo bernie Ecclestone does not agree with the new green rules being adopted by the sport

Teething problems: Sebastian Vettel's car is pulled to the garage after Red Bull suffered problems with the new engines

Speaking to Sportsmail, Ecclestone said: ‘Look at the last few days. I said it was going to be like this – a total farce. They (the FIA and the teams) insisted on these new engines. If they wanted to race like this they should go to Le Mans.



‘They talk about saving fuel. They don’t need these new engines to achieve that. They should get smaller motorhomes. Then they wouldn’t need so many trucks going all round Europe. Mercedes are taking 23 trucks with them everywhere. If they really wanted to save fuel they should stop that.



‘The whole thing with the new engines is totally absurd.



‘People want noise – something special, that’s what F1 is all about – and now we have quiet engines and nobody on the track.’

Bring back the good old days: Bernie Ecclestone believes speed, noise and glamour are part of F1's allure

The Iceman commeth? Kevin Magnussen set the fastest time of the day at testing in Jerez

Formula One feeds off the image of speed and glamour. The loudest and fastest cars in the world are part of the allure. But here in Jerez, where four days of testing ends this afternoon, some of the cars were 11 seconds off the lap record.



At least the new technical regulations are producing the unexpected, Red Bull’s woes chief among them. ‘Adrian (Newey) has gone back to the drawing board,’ admitted their driver Daniel Ricciardo.



In contrast to the travails of the Renault-powered engines, the Mercedes and Ferrari-powered teams are strong, with newcomer Kevin Magnussen setting the fastest time of the day at the wheel of his McLaren.

