FORMULA ONE supremo Bernie Ecclestone insists there will be 10 teams on the grid for the first race in 2009, despite Honda’s decision to walk away from the sport.

Ecclestone, who controls the commercial rights, said he supported the radical plans of Max Mosley, the FIA president, to cut the cost of running a team by as much as 80%. The 78-year-old billionaire said, however, that F1 was “thriving” and refused to contemplate reducing the fees he charges circuit owners to stage races.

“When we’ve exhausted all the people who are telling me they want a grand prix, we’ll look at that, but the demand is still very strong,” said Ecclestone. Last season the owners of the 18 circuits paid Ecclestone’s companies about £12m on average.

Adam Parr, chief executive officer at WilliamsF1, said he believed there would be only eight teams in Melbourne for the start of next season, with another manufacturer likely to follow Honda in bowing out, a view that found support at several other British-based teams.

That, in part, is because they do not believe Mosley can fulfil his ambition to enable a team to win the 2010 world championship on an annual budget of “between £30m and £40m” when the likes of Ferrari and McLaren currently spend closer to £200m. Mosley would require teams to use a standard engine and gearbox, costing about £8m a season, which he says would be indistinguishable from the ones used now. Other savings would be made on chassis materials, staffing costs (including driver salaries), and research, development and testing.

One team insider said the Formula One Teams Association (Fota), which has proposed budget cuts of more than 30%, would not accept Mosley’s measures. “The teams aren’t stupid enough to think they could carry on as they were in the current economic conditions, so after detailed study they have come up with changes which would save a huge amount of money but retain the principles which make F1 what it is, a competition at every level. If Max tries to impose his will, he’s going to have an uncomfortable experience,” the insider warned.

The fate of the Honda team could be the crucial factor in deciding whether Mosley or Fota carries the day. The Brackley-based team’s 2009 car, the design of which has been overseen by former Ferrari technical chief Ross Brawn, has been described as a potential race winner and there is no reason to doubt Nick Fry, the team’s chief executive officer, who says he has had three expressions of interest from potential buyers with the resources to take the team forward.

If one of those goes ahead, Mosley’s case for drastic surgery would be harder to make. There would also be no need for Jenson Button to find another drive; the Briton yesterday was linked to both Toro Rosso and Williams.