In an interview with British tabloid The Daily Mirror, F1 supremo, Bernie Ecclestone dismissed the threat of a breakaway series, whilst also taking a swipe at certain individuals within the paddock.

"I don't take the threat of a breakaway seriously," said the Englishman. "If it happened, the FIA championship would continue. Maybe it would have different regulations but it would continue.

"There have been thousands of different formats and regulations over the years," he continued, "and lots of famous teams that have come and gone. Only Ferrari is still around. Do the public give a stuff about the engine manufacturers? Not really. But they do care about Ferrari. And Ferrari would still be in the FIA championship.

"We could still fill our grid up if some of the manufacturers walked away," he added. "We would have a whole bunch of new kids as drivers and we would be in a position to install a new set of regulations to ensure closer racing.

"Their motive for the rival series is to get more money but if they do it, they will end up with a hell of a lot less. They will be competing with the FIA and the fans won't watch both series. So their revenues will be cut in half at the very least."

Of the manufacturers, he said: "People who run big corporations are okay at ticking boxes but they make decisions and they do not understand the side-effects of the decisions. We have got a few new kids on the block now. They don't know what they don't know. They put a hat on that says 'president' or 'chief executive' and they find themselves in a position above their ability. They are like guys who have read dirty books but have never been to bed with a woman.

"You can't turn the clock back," he added, "but, if they are bright enough, they will realise they are meddling with something that did not need to be fixed. "In time they will start to understand. Their egos will melt away quietly. At the moment the sport is a so-called democracy where everybody wants a say but nobody knows what to say.

"They seem to think they can try and run the sport as if it was a big company. But if they do that they will be in trouble. You have got to run Formula One like a boutique, not a supermarket.

Then, in a clear swipe at certain team principals, he added: "We have got people with massive egos in the sport now. They use Formula One to promote themselves.

"If I was in charge of a detective agency and I was looking for a hidden camera somewhere, I'd hire a couple of our team owners - they always seem to be able to find a camera wherever they are."