F1 oligarch Bernie Ecclestone has reaffirmed his doubts in two of F1's newest teams, saying that he can't see either USF1 or Campos making the Bahrain GP grid, but also confirming that the 2010 rules allow them to miss up to three races.
Ecclestone has been deriding the two teams throughout the winter, and has made no secret of his desire to see at least one of them drop out of the sport to be replaced by the Stefan GP team, which has already shipped equipment to Bahrain ahead of the opening round of the season, despite not yet having an entry.
Rumours have been spreading recently that the two teams, who are both in a race against time to make the start of the season, may have a get-out clause in the latest Concorde Agreement, which allows teams to miss up to three races before they are booted out of the championship.
And Bernie has confirmed that this is the case, a rule which boosts the chances of both teams managing to compete in the 2010 season.
Ecclestone was quoted by the Daily Express as saying that: "I think we won't see Campos and I don't think we will see the Americans [in Bahrain]...they are going to ask to miss three races."
But he also confirmed the existence of the clause that allows teams to skip races, saying: "In the Concorde Agreement the teams are allowed to miss three races."
Although skipping certain events was a regular occurrence in F1's past, in recent years, Formula One bosses have levelled hefty fines against any team forced to miss a race. This resulted in scenes such as the Arrows team deliberately failing to qualify at the 2002 French GP while in major financial trouble, in order to try and avoid a fine.
But with Ecclestone only contractually obliged to "procure the participation of at least 16 cars per Grand Prix", and the inflation of the F1 grid to 26 cars, the rules seem to have been relaxed to allow teams to skip events if they so wish.
The rule could allow both teams an extra month to prepare for 2010, with their participation not required until the Chinese Grand Prix on April 18th.
Both Campos and USF1 are continuing to aim for Bahrain, however, with Campos rumoured to be close to finalising an investment deal to secure their 2010 participation, and USF1 boss Peter Windsor recently saying that "We will be in Bahrain. We may not be pretty, but we will be there."
Ecclestone also took time to reconfirm his preference for Stefan GP to get a spot on the grid for 2010.
"They have got the money from the Serbian government, I've spoken to the prime minister," Ecclestone boasted, as if that somehow mattered.
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