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SHANGHAI: Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has admitted that, while McLaren star Lewis Hamilton is good for business, out of the car he is a little bit arrogant.
'I think he has slightly too high an opinion of himself, and that irritates the other drivers,' said Ecclestone.
But the bigger surprise yesterday was when Formula One took a big step towards the introduction of common engines by opening tenders for a third-party supplier.
Formula One chiefs Max Mosley and Ecclestone had for long promoted the introduction of common engines to cut spiralling costs, yet the announcement came without warning.
The radical change was welcomed by the smaller independent teams.
Vijay Mallya, the Force India co-owner, said: 'Any initiative to reduce the cost of Formula One is most welcome. The more you share, the less the costs. This is not rocket science, it's logic.'
But the manufacturer-backed teams like Ferrari, BMW, Renault, Toyota, Honda and Mercedes might start thinking of pulling out from the sport.
Using common engines would significantly reduce their ability to use F1 to promote their technological expertise.
'I don't see why they should leave,' Ecclestone said. 'We are saving them an awful lot of money.'
Worried about a backlash, the FIA later clarified the winner of the tender would define a detailed design for the engine, and individual teams could build their own to specification. --REUTERS
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