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From GMM
F1 appears closer to having an all-new Concorde Agreement in place for 2013 and beyond.
Following a major falling out with Mercedes, Bernie Ecclestone now insists there is in fact "total agreement" up and down the pitlane with regards to the sport's commercial structure beyond the expiry of the current contract.
"Total agreement," he told the Daily Mail when asked about the progress of the next Concorde.
"We are just talking to the lawyers -- 'why have you used this word, that word?'. Typical lawyers," said the sport's 81-year-old supremo.
"But everything's fine. Commercially it's done," he insisted.
The next step, Bernie Ecclestone suggested, is to work out how the sport's technical regulations are written in the future.
"It should be the teams, though not all the teams, who do that," he said. "They are the people who have to come up with the money, not the FIA. It would be the established teams who are here to stay - Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes and probably Williams as old timers - deciding what to do."
Singapore
Bernie Ecclestone is sure Singapore is staying on the F1 calendar.
We reported this week that the city-state's government only intends to renew the deal beyond 2012 if the F1 chief executive eases his demands for the sanctioning fee.
But Ecclestone has told the Singapore newspaper Today that the negotiations are complete.
"Everything that was in the way of the Singapore grand prix continuing for another five years has been cleared," he said.
"I'm happy that this is out of the way because Singapore has been good to F1 and the night race has also been equally good for Singapore," added Ecclestone.
However, messages circulating on Twitter indicate otherwise. Singapore denies it has agreed a five-year contract extension with FOM, despite Bernie Ecclestone saying otherwise. Talks are still ongoing.
F1 appears closer to having an all-new Concorde Agreement in place for 2013 and beyond.
Following a major falling out with Mercedes, Bernie Ecclestone now insists there is in fact "total agreement" up and down the pitlane with regards to the sport's commercial structure beyond the expiry of the current contract.
"Total agreement," he told the Daily Mail when asked about the progress of the next Concorde.
"We are just talking to the lawyers -- 'why have you used this word, that word?'. Typical lawyers," said the sport's 81-year-old supremo.
"But everything's fine. Commercially it's done," he insisted.
The next step, Bernie Ecclestone suggested, is to work out how the sport's technical regulations are written in the future.
"It should be the teams, though not all the teams, who do that," he said. "They are the people who have to come up with the money, not the FIA. It would be the established teams who are here to stay - Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes and probably Williams as old timers - deciding what to do."
Singapore
Bernie Ecclestone is sure Singapore is staying on the F1 calendar.
We reported this week that the city-state's government only intends to renew the deal beyond 2012 if the F1 chief executive eases his demands for the sanctioning fee.
But Ecclestone has told the Singapore newspaper Today that the negotiations are complete.
"Everything that was in the way of the Singapore grand prix continuing for another five years has been cleared," he said.
"I'm happy that this is out of the way because Singapore has been good to F1 and the night race has also been equally good for Singapore," added Ecclestone.
However, messages circulating on Twitter indicate otherwise. Singapore denies it has agreed a five-year contract extension with FOM, despite Bernie Ecclestone saying otherwise. Talks are still ongoing.