Ecclestone: FOTA will fail

The main issue behind the fight between FOTA and the FIA is Mosley's proposed budget cap, which the FOTA members are opposed to. Ecclestone, though, believes this year's championship race, which sees Brawn GP and Red Bull leading the pack, is proof that money doesn't buy success.

"This is a great championship for most people because they like having Brawn and Red Bull at the front rather than Ferrari and McLaren as usual. This has happened because of the rule changes and because we have stopped testing in a season, which I was always against," he said.

"What has happened here this year is exactly like when Colin Chapman ran Lotus when he was the guy who introduced the ground-effect car. Everyone said he was cheating, it was just that Colin spotted what he could do and other people couldn't.

"Ross Brawn and Adrian Newey have come up with the best cars this year, different styles, one with diffuser, one not, at the start. It shows it can be done with the right people.

"Don't forget that Ferrari spent a fortune and didn't win the title for 10 years. Money doesn't buy success. It could wreck the sport.

"As for the drivers, they want to win the FIA F1 World Championship or some of them would be elsewhere getting more money to win a title that means less. I don't think they will get a series going.

"The teams had a chance to sign the 1998 Concorde Agreement which would have protected them from Max's technical changes, but they said no."