Gene Haas looks set to take his place on the pitwall as F1’s newest team owner in 2015.
Having earlier played down the Nascar team co-owner’s chances of securing the twelfth team entry, Bernie Ecclestone said this week: "I think Haas will be accepted.
"They have got the money but it’s a question of whether they are going to spend it," the Independent newspaper quotes him as having told F1 business journalist Christian Sylt.
It is believed the FIA recently delayed a decision over Haas’ 2015 application pending F1s chief executive Ecclestone’s ’ok’.
Money seems to have been the 83-year-old Briton’s main concern.
"A billion would last a new team owner four years," Ecclestone said. "I’ve spoken to Haas but I don’t know what they are going to do. It’s America, so I don’t know."
He also didn’t rule out the possibility more teams could soon be following Haas into F1.
"Every year we or the FIA have approaches from new teams," he said.