Race start changes 'step in right direction' - Ecclestone

Aug.20 (GMM) F1's clampdown on assisted race starts is a step in the right direction, according to Bernie Ecclestone.

The F1 supremo, openly no fan of the sport's current era, has given his approval to the new rules governing race starts that will debut this weekend in Belgium.

"We are making a tiny step backwards technology-wise for the sake of the entertainment," explained Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team boss.

Some teams, however, have reportedly complained about the mid-season rule change, arguing that the current cars have been designed only for the sophisticated settings and instructions that are now banned.

But Ecclestone said: "It is the fault of the engineers that formula one is now regarded as a series in which you can almost put trained monkeys in remote-controlled cars.

"The new starting procedure is the first step back in the right direction," he told Germany's Sport Bild.