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.

 

[Titch]

Not dead, but just a little bit dafter.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Reading the bbc article & There's no middle ground is there with bernie he either comes out with some right crap (like that ridiculous short cut or sprinkler idea) or total sense in my opinion. Because I was delighted when bernie said "If they don't then maybe the FIA will have to write the regulations, If you like it, good, if you don't, sorry, but you've a choice to stop competing in F1 or you can arbitrate."

Because a dicator is whats formula 1 has badly needed, you dont get the people who are competing to make the rules because otherwise they wont be thinking of themselves because Mercedes might have a great idea to close the grid up & reduce distruption in dirty air. But they never going to vote for it if Singapore form becomes permanent

 

[teabagyokel]

"We're trying to save the sport and these people are trying to save it for their own good," Ecclestone said.

"Clearly the main problem with the interior decoration in the kitchen is that appliances are too monochromatic. We're trying to prevent the blackness of the kettle from damaging the overall ambience," said the pot.

 

[The Artist.....]

Bernie has now come out and said that the manufacturers have too much power

Formula 1: Bernie Ecclestone warns teams on engines

The irony is that many of us were shouting this in the early years of the new millennium, whilst Bernie was busy courting manufacturers like Toyota, BMW, Jaguar et al, whilst also marginalising the smaller teams (like Jordan, Minardi, Arrows to name but 3).

There is a malaise in formula one, and its name is Bernard.

 

[cider_and_toast]

That should read "Bernie has less power". Hence his sudden change of heart.

 

[RasputinLives]

Yeah Bernie you've come to the party late on this one. They have so much power because there are so few of them in the sport so they can basically ask for what they want and expect it otherwise the whole thing is buggered.

Why are there so few? Rising costs. Solution to that? Bigger and fairer distribution of the F1 revenue. Who controls that? Why that's you Bernie.

Next week tune in for Bernie's next revelation that we're losing classic tracks in countries where F1 is popular due to it costing them too much to stage them. How on earth will he solve that issue!

 

[Greenlantern101]

I'm waiting for the revelation that street tracks have very little overtaking yet seem to of taken over the calendar. Who on earth is to blame for that. Such a puzzle.

 

[cider_and_toast]

And the final episode in the series which will be the revelation that when the powers that be do come up with a set of ideas that may work, there always seems to be one team who has the power to veto it. Find out who that is and who let that happen in this four part series:

"Bernie, you've fucked it all up" on BBC1 err sorry, ITV no wait, BBC1, oh hang on it's Channel 4 (with simultaneous HD, Blue Ray, Dolby Surround Sound IMAX 5:1 Ultra High Def Ausomo vision broadcast on Sky Sports F1)

 

[Greenlantern101]

I'd watch that.

 

[teabagyokel]

C4 only have the highlights of episode 2.

 

[Bill Boddy]

.... Bigger and fairer distribution of the F1 revenue. Who controls that? Why that's you Bernie.....

Give the F1 teams more money and they will still overspend. More equality in money would imo be better.

 

[Greenlantern101]

And who is to blame for that you cancerous polyp.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Well I guess this is the last we will see of mercedes in testing now haha but But I tend to agree with Niki Lauda because despite bernie making F1 what it is from early 70's . He idea to chase the money over tradition to sport detriment & in a way last straw was the fact monza future is apparently in doubt. Which would disaster for the sport

Legendary driver blasts Ecclestone for "destroying" Formula One

 

[Grizzly]

The Telegraph - As with any Bernie headline, the article starts with very little to say, waters it down to slightly less than nothing at all in the middle and then, signs off with the standard "actually, the above are just some words because we had a blank bit to fill, please rest assured, he still has F1 over a barrel"

 

[Bill Boddy]

....Legendary driver blasts Ecclestone for "destroying" Formula One

That's not the first time Lauda has been wrong. Just for once Ecclestone has told the truth - F1 is broken. What he doesn't mention, of course, is his participation in its downfall.

 

[RasputinLives]

Bernie is dusting off his toll kit and is going to build his own engine and sell it to teams for 7 Million quid

Bernie Ecclestone hints he could fund development of new F1 engine

Can't wait to see the Red Bull-Ecclestone circuling the track. Bet if it blew up though they'd never blame the engine.

"ermm yeah no the engine is ...ermm no yeah...the best ever built. It must be our car"

 

[Titch]

He is now suggesting that F1 can survive without an Italian GP, insisting even.

He's also hoping for a 6 billion ..... I repeat ,billion... sale of the remaining 34.6 % CVC shares in F1, he claims he has buyers lined up.

By the way does anyone know who owns the other 65%, because I don't.

 

[RasputinLives]

They're all owned by gethinceri

 

[Titch]

Wow, rich man then. Have you got his address ?

 

[siffert_fan]

How much would you like to bet that any sales contract would contain a provision stating that BE is to remain in charge of F1 until he dies (if he ever does. Has anyone started searching for a hidden portrait of him that keeps looking older)?

As to losing Monza--that would merely be a continuation of his long-standing policy of eliminating all circuits with any F1 history, so the races can be moved to yet another sandbox circuit that pays more. Why, in Bernie's world, should Monza be treated differently than any other race (except Monaco)? The tifosi mean nothing to him.