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Formula One Management CEO Bernie Ecclestone has proposed to give F1's richest teams more freedom to spend vast sums of money.
The scheme, at odds with the current trend for massive cost-cutting in the wake of the departure of Honda, would be in exchange for the manufacturers promising a long-term commitment to the sport he claims.
"If the manufacturers are prepared to make a long-term commitment, say seven to 10 years, we should let them spend what they want to spend, providing they supply engines and gearboxes at an affordable price," the 78-year-old billionaire told the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
Following the expiry of the binding Concorde Agreement, the sport is currently commercially governed by a memorandum of understanding, which by Ecclestone's own admission is not legally binding.
It is in pressing for teams to commit to a new Concorde that he recently mischievously threatened to reduce, rather than increase, the revenue distributed to the teams.
The Briton hopes his lure of greater freedom for the big teams will entice them to sign up soon, even though recent cost-cutting moves were widely welcomed.
"Whether they will commit to that I don't know. Getting them to agree on anything has always been the problem," Ecclestone said.
"But if they did it would prevent the kind of thing we have seen with Honda because we could sue the arse off them if they left. They wouldn't like that."
Despite his recent suggestions to improve the sport, however, including his rejected 'medals' scoring system, Ecclestone insists he is not interested in succeeding Max Mosley as FIA President.
"Max doesn't get paid. Even if they paid me 10 times what I earn now I wouldn't do it," he laughed.
F1's big teams can plug any holes on the grid by fielding third cars, according to Chief Executive Bernie Ecclestone.
In the wake of Honda's departure from the sport, and speculation that further teams might succumb to the effects of the global financial crisis, Formula One is facing an immediate future with grids of perhaps fewer than 18 drivers.
Short of plugging the gaps with new team entrants, Ecclestone says the easiest solution to the problem is to ask the best-financed existing teams to enter more cars.
"That is what basically will happen," said Ecclestone, who has denied that he is contractually bound to organisers and broadcasters to provide well-stocked fields.
He explained to DPA: "If the manufacturers supply engines to other people, they can run three cars themselves."
Ecclestone hinted that the third car provision could be triggered immediately, such as if a buyer is not found for Honda's Brackley-based team.
"It is better to have 20 cars on the grid, whether they are in the hands of manufacturers or in private hands, that doesn't make any difference," he said.
