Ecclestone: Ferrari F1 quit threat is serious 

Bernie Ecclestone has reiterated his warning that Ferrari’s Formula 1 quit threat should be taken seriously. 

In the wake of new engine regulations proposed for the 2021 season late last year, Ferrari CEO and chairman Sergio Marchionne issued a quit threat in response to Liberty Media’s plans for the future of F1. 

Marchionne warned Ferrari “will not play” if the future vision of the sport did not align with the Scuderia’s own requirements. 

Former F1 supremo Ecclestone has waded into the debate over whether Ferrari would follow up its quit threat, adding he believes the sport may not be able to survive without its most iconic team on the grid. 

“F1 is Ferrari and Ferrari is F1,” Ecclestone is quoted as saying by The Guardian. “I would hate to see F1 without Ferrari.” 

Ecclestone added some race promoters would join a breakaway series with Ferrari “immediately” and said he does not feel Marchionne is making empty threats. 

“Sergio does not do things unless he is serious. I don’t think he is the sort of guy who doesn’t do what he says he’s going to do.”

The Italian outfit has made a number of threats to quit F1 over the years and is currently bound to race in F1 until 2020 under the Concorde Agreement.