Russian official urges Ecclestone to revive V8s

Oct.23 - Russian grand prix chief Igor Ermilin has backed Bernie Ecclestone's desire to force the return of screaming V8 power in formula one.

As Red Bull struggles to secure a V6 'power unit' deal for 2016, and the issue of quiet engines remains a problem, the F1 supremo reportedly took the V8 proposal to a recent Geneva meeting.

The engine manufacturers, however, rejected Ecclestone's idea, but the almost-85-year-old told The Independent: "I don't think we should get consent from the teams.

"I think we should just do it and say to them 'If you don't like it you can go to arbitration'."

During his recent joint interview with Max Mosley, Ecclestone told the German broadcaster ZDF that the issue of V6s not making enough noise "was pointed out to me again by some Russian people".

Clearly, one of them was Ermilin, a leading official of the Russian grand prix and an advisor to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

"Ecclestone is absolutely right," he told the major Russian broadsheet Izvestia.

"Of course, to get around the veto of the FIA will not be easy, but Bernie is the master of such intrigue," said Ermilin. "I think he will do everything possible to drive the competitors into a corner.

"As far as I understand, Bernie is trying to pressure the engine manufacturers, or it is a real attempt to bring back the old engines.

"It is important to understand that this is not about money. Apparently, he is really concerned about what is happening," Ermilin added.

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