Virgin boss Booth hits back at Ecclestone

Virgin team boss John Booth has hit back at suggestions from F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone that only Lotus deserves to remain on the grid from this season’s new teams.

Ecclestone said earlier in the week that F1 needs ‘to get rid of a few of those cripples’, referring to some of the new teams and that Richard Branson should put some money into his team.

“I cannot understand his motives for saying that,” Booth told the Yorkshire Post. “Is it to embarrass Sir Richard Branson, one of the country’s leading entrepreneurs?

“He’s said so many things over the course of the year that it no longer has any affect on us.”

With speculation surrounding Virgin’s driver line-up for 2011, Booth added that the second seat alongside Timo Glock is still very much up for grabs.

“We’re evaluating options at the minute. Only one driver is set in stone and that’s Timo [Glock]. He’s contracted to us and absolutely he is staying.

“We are still looking at Lucas [di Grassi] but it will be a couple of months before a decision is made. We have four or five options at the moment and it’s a case of who is the best to take us forward.”