Ecclestone attacks FIA and president Todt

Bernie Ecclestone has stepped up his attack on Jean Todt, highlighting a growing rift between F1’s chief executive and the head of the governing FIA.

Ecclestone said recently he is "at loggerheads" with Todt over the 2013 engine rules, with Todt responding this week: "I hear about the (engine) noise, but that’s evolution."

The 80-year-old, in London this week rather than travelling to Australia for the season opener, has replied with a stinging attack on Frenchman Todt — "a poor man’s Max."

That reference is to Ecclestone’s long time friend and fellow F1 powerbroker Max Mosley, who pushed strongly for Todt as his successor.

But Ecclestone insists the pair is not alike.

"He (Todt) has been travelling around the world doing what Max didn’t do too much — kissing the babies and shaking the hands."

He told the UK newspaper Express that Todt has "not so much had a positive effect on formula one", and slammed efforts to make the sport green a "complete joke".

Ecclestone has admitted his disdain for this year’s new rules, including KERS and adjustable rear wings, and is campaigning hard for his own ideas such as artificial rain and medals instead of points.

"We should write the rules with the teams," he said. "The competitors have got to race and have got a big investment. We have got a big investment.

"It (the FIA) should be like the police — the police don’t write the rules and say you’ve got to do 30 miles an hour. The FIA is a joke," Ecclestone charged.