Bernie Ecclestone would prefer to see a more open championship battle in 2012, despite being an admirer of Sebastian Vettel. Last year, the German comfortably wrapped up a second consecutive crown five races before the end of the campaign.
“I hope not!” Ecclestone, head of F1 commercial rights holder Formula One Management (FOM), laughed when asked by Salzburger Nachrichten if more dominance looms. “If I’m being honest, I expect more of the same, but I would rather have a title fight right down to the final race.”
However, if Ecclestone’s title prediction is correct, the 81-year-old Englishman hopes the excitement of individual races is still enough to satisfy the public.
“Television viewers should find that the excitement of races pulls them more than the overall championship battle,” he continued before sharing some final thoughts on the season ahead. “I would be very surprised if Mercedes couldn’t improve and I also hope we have a clear improvement from Ferrari; Fernando Alonso is a super talent and deserves to have the perfect car.”
Pre-season testing begins in Jerez, Spain on 7 February, with the first set of five red lights then going out in Melbourne, Australia on 18 March.
Also on Monday:
Ecclestone: The Spanish races should alternate
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