Bernie Ecclestone

Bernie Ecclestone attempted to qualify for a single World Championship event. He was in a Connaught-Alta, one of a fleet of three entered by himself. He finished qualifying 265.2 seconds off the pace, and his two team-mates failed to qualify as well.

He is, however, the most important single person in Grand Prix history. He took charge of Motor Racing Developments in 1972, from Ron Tauranac. He was the team principal for Nelson Piquet's two drivers' titles, but he'd lost interest by the time Brabham missed the deadline to enter the 1988 World Championship.

Into the governance of the sport he went, and he modernised it, and quickly controlled Formula One. He is now the leader of a billion-dollar industry. He is a divisive figure, but he's not done badly for someone who was four minutes off the pace on a Saturday in Monaco.

 

[Fenderman]

Brilliant piece by Andrew Benson: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/23346006


I found the part about the off the F1 radar “lost decade” particularly entertaining. I'm not sure if I ever knew about the rumour that he had master minded the Great Train Robbery but I do remember the connection with getaway and aspiring racing driver Roy James. What I didn't know was that James made the trophy* Bernie gives to promoters every year. Still not sure which trophy that is but if I find it I might just use it as an avatar!

* I wonder where the silver came from ...

 

[Titch]

He's stepped down...... he's up to something. He must have a plan.

 

[Greenlantern101]

You're confusing him with Baldrick

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

He's almost the anti-Baldrick actually!

 

[Greenlantern101]

Tamara…really…who is putting money on that.

 

[Jen]

Please not Horner, he's insufferable enough!

If that did happen would he have to stand down as team principal?

 

[Bill Boddy]

In theory Horner would have to step down. On the other hand this is F1.

 

[teabagyokel]

Jen - Yeah, no.

 

[RasputinLives]

Guys. It does say he's still running the day to day business.

In my line of work I come across dozens and dozens of business that state they are run by one set of people but actually if you dig a bit deeper you find that someone who is deemed legally not 'fit and proper' is actually running it.

I'm sure Bernie has just as much influence over his empire as he always did in reality.

 

[teabagyokel]

Pity is RasputinLives, he isn't even bloody pretending

 

[Titch]

Of course if he's stepped down and therefore not running anything ( on paper), he can't be sacked can he?

 

[Plutus]

I really feel for the guy.....what he has to go through at his age, poor chap.

 

[teabagyokel]

Plutus - It would have been so much more efficient to put him through it in his youth.

 

[Plutus]

I agree teabagyokel. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, hope that still applies to people in his age.

 

[Fenderman]

It may come as a shock and surprise to F1 and its followers that Bernie is not invincible. The old adage "the higher the climb the bigger the fall" will apply to poor Bernie no less than it does to anyone else. There will be those deep inside the inner sanctum of the F1 establishment, CVC and the international business community who will seize any opportunity to unseat him and cast him asunder.

The term "cut-throat competition" springs to mind and this has to be the best opportunity for his foes to depose him. If he gets jail time he will be gone in a heart-beat. Remember, he's half-busted already since Gribkowsky is already serving time for taking the £28m bribe/gob-zipper. Oh, and there is of course the third case ti begin in the US. It is said that a General who commits his armies to battles on two fronts is in error. One who is fighting on three is ...

 

[Mephistopheles]

......fucked...?

 

[Speshal]

about 10 years too late.......

 

[RasputinLives]

As much as I think Bernie is a complete meglomaniac and dissaprove of the majority of his business actions I'm afraid he is the one thing that holds F1 together and without him the sport will be in trouble.

It pains me to say it but without the dictator that is Bernie F1 will descend into chaos as the teams (who can never agree on anything ever) will rip and claw away at the empire to try and get a big a piece of the pie as possible. Traditions will go and before we know it ferrari will be running 5 car teams and we'll be down to a 3 team series as they out spend each other. Half the teams will get upperty and form a break away and before we know it F1 no longer exists and we have have half a dozen not as good breakaway series as we go the way of Indie car.

Bernie, love him or hate him, is the only person with the power and influence to make so many big business and big egos tow the line and without him the chaos will come.

Just like Max Mosely I can't say I like him as a person but just like Max you'll miss Bernie if he's really gone. Just you wait.

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

I suppose he's a megalomaniac that we know. The next one will be an unknown quantity!

 

[Bill Boddy]

I don't miss Mosley one little bit ; in fact quite the contrary.