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Bernie Ecclestone: 'European Commission talks underway'

Bernie Ecclestone says that "discussions" with the European Commission are currently taking place.

Bernie Ecclestone has said that "discussions" with the European Commission are currently taking place.

Last September, midfield teams Force India and Sauber lodged an official complaint to the European Union's anti-competition unit about Formula 1's allegedly "unlawful" governance and income-distribution systems.

The complaint was pointed specifically at Ecclestone, but the F1 supremo - also frustrated by the sport's crippling governance structure - may in fact also be on board, having recently described an alliance between top manufacturers Mercedes and Ferrari as a "cartel".

"The European Commission is beginning to be a little more interested in Formula 1 and whether the competition laws are respected," Ecclestone told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"If they really have doubts, it could mean the contracts must be torn up before 2020," he added, referring to the agreements that bind the sport with the FIA and teams.

Referring again to the EU, he added: "We are in discussions with them."

The 85-year-old Briton made clear that his biggest qualm is with the dominance of Mercedes, in the controversial 'power unit' era that in his view is badly hurting F1.

"Mercedes has won I think 34 races in the last two years, many of them one and two," said Ecclestone.

"If it was an open battle between Mercedes and Ferrari no-one would complain - we could even live with a dominant team if the drivers were at war like [Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost] were at McLaren.

"But if we don't change the rules, Mercedes could win until 2020 and that worries me."

Ecclestone said that Mercedes and Ferrari are effectively running F1 at the moment as they are dominating technologically and politically through their competitive power units.

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