![\"Bernie-Ecclestone-1\"](\"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/gallery\/f1-2013-rif-images\/f1-2013-persons\/Bernie-Ecclestone-1.jpg\")
Told by veteran Swiss correspondent Roger Benoit that ‘half the field’ is struggling to survive amid the economic crisis and spiralling costs, Ecclestone answered: “That’s not quite right.<\/p>\n‘Two or three’ teams are facing financial strife, F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has admitted.<\/p>\n
Told by veteran Swiss correspondent Roger Benoit that ‘half the field’ is struggling to survive amid the economic crisis and spiralling costs, Ecclestone answered: “That’s not quite right.<\/p>\n
“We are talking about two vulnerable teams at the moment,” the 82-year-old told Blick newspaper.<\/p>\n
“Perhaps there’s a third with a question mark,” added Ecclestone.<\/p>\n
Asked, however, if he is confident the ‘vulnerable’ teams will be on the 2014 grid, the Briton insisted: “If you had asked me a year ago, the answer would be no.<\/p>\n
“But now, suddenly, most of the teams find money somehow from somewhere.\u00a0 I don’t know how they do that,” added Ecclestone.<\/p>\n
He would not name the ‘vulnerable’ teams, or even admit that the one at the top of the list is surely Sauber.<\/p>\n
“We’ve known each other long enough that you know I have nothing to say!” Ecclestone told Benoit.<\/p>\n
He ruled out intervening with personal loans, after admitting to the New York Times at the weekend that Sir Frank Williams regularly used to borrow money.<\/p>\n
“I’m not allowed to do that anymore,” said Ecclestone.\u00a0 “We have an agreement with the teams that it would be unfair to the others.<\/p>\n
“They’re the ones who wanted it (the agreement)!” he told Blick.<\/p>\n
Ecclestone has, however, reached new financial deals with the big teams that give them more income than their smaller, struggling rivals.<\/p>\n
Surely that’s not fair?<\/p>\n
“It’s because the big teams have promised that they are staying until 2020 — they’ve given us a bank guarantee,” Ecclestone revealed.<\/p>\n
“The distribution was always the same — the only difference these days is that we distribute a lot more money,” he told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Ecclestone insisted he is sleeping well despite the fact prosecutors in Munich are considering sending him to trial over bribery.<\/p>\n
He rejects their main argument.<\/p>\n
“First, I had no shares to sell, so I had no personal interest,” said Ecclestone.<\/p>\n
“My job was not in danger — no matter who the shares were sold to, the FIA had to agree.<\/p>\n
“But the FIA wanted to ensure that I still ran the business; because they’re familiar with me and know how I work,” he insisted.<\/p>\n
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