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.

 

[Greenlantern101]

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.

That can be arranged

 

[Titch]

His brain is already gone.

 

[teabagyokel]

Bernie Ecclestone says F1 is like 'Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger'

Much as I don't doubt that he can't get no satisfaction...

Ecclestone added the governance of F1 was "nothing to do with me".

The promotion of F1 is your job, so calling it shit AGAIN after a brilliant Grand Prix in Australia isn't exactly helping.

He added the idea "wasn't mine at all" but the FIA's. However, he rejected calls for a return to the 2015 format because he felt that did not work well either.

Your suggestion was the reverse-grid Q3, which is actually the very worst suggestion for a qualifying system that has ever been half-farted in the direction of a Grand Prix, and which was so bad it forced the teams to reluctantly agree to the current mess.

Ecclestone also discussed the new fuel-efficient turbo hybrid engines, arguing he would prefer a return to the naturally aspirated V8s that were used until 2013.

"I said this engine would be a disaster and was criticised for that," he said, claiming the lack of noise meant F1 had lost some of its appeal.

YOU ARE THE PROMOTER! Find a way of selling the current engine, because that is your bloody job.

 

[RasputinLives]

Isn't Stones song Sympathy for the Devil about Bernie?

"Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm a man of wealth and taste. Been around for a long long year and laid many a man's soul to waste.....

 

[cider_and_toast]

Taste? Erm, no.

I thought exactly along the same lines as you TBY. The fact that he claims the governance structure of the sport is nothing to do with him is laughable. He fully supported this current situation where he has 6 votes, the FIA has 6 and the teams get 6.

The whole journey to this latest shambles started when Bernie was granted full control of F1's commercial side initially for 14 years, in 1997. That 1997 Concorde agreement was the first steps on the pathway to where we are now and it had Bernie's hand on the wheel all the way. Apart from the, on reflection, hastey ban on driver aids at the end of 93 does any one remember too many calls to 'spice up the show' prior to 97? Following that though, hardly a season went by without rule changes both to the cars and the running of the weekend.

So thanks Bernie.

 

[Greenlantern101]

I wonder if Bernie has Shaggy's 'Wasn't me' track on repeat on his ipod.

 

[ATL11]

Dear Bernie,

Okay so we're using F1 analogies now because Vettel for some 'strange' reason (see what I did there) used Vanilla Ice Cream to describe F1!!

Why the hell is Vettel using Vanilla Ice Cream to describe F1, surely he should have used Raspberry Ripple Ice cream instead? There is something good within, but at the moment we just can't see it. & don't get me started with Neapolitan or Tutti Frutti....

As for your own analogy with The Rolling Stones I do think this beats Ice Cream, though I do think you are opening yourself up for F1 fans to quote the song (I can't get no) Satisfaction.

Anyway nice catching up.

Regards

Andy

PS. feel free to correct any grammar so I can improve (see what I did there too).

 

[Greenlantern101]

F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone's mother-in-law 'kidnapped in Sao Paulo' - BBC News

Key suspects 'Sauber'

 

[vintly]

They want £28M in four bags of cash, in Sterling? He'll need some big bags.

 

[ATL11]

They want £28M in four bags of cash, in Sterling? He'll need some big bags.

They've not really thought that through have they, never mentioned if they wanted Gucci or Prada bags for instance.

Hope the Old Dear is safe......

 

[vintly]

 

[cider_and_toast]

Knowing Bernie he's probably kidnapped her himself in some sort of clever tax write off.

 

[vintly]

And what sort of idiot kidnapper asks for pounds Sterling post-Brexit!

 

[Bill Boddy]

It's an attempt to bolster the pound and thus doomed to failure.

Years ago there was a film about a wife being kidnapped and her husband refused to pay up on the grounds that he wanted rid of her anyway. She finished up getting her revenge on him. Any chance of a similar performance here?

 

[Bill Boddy]

Mother-in=law released unharmed despite Ecclestone's offer to get in a private security company.

F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone's mother-in-law freed - BBC News

 

[cider_and_toast]

Phew. That's been keeping me awake at night that has. I can sleep easy now.

 

[ATL11]

Phew. That's been keeping me awake at night that has. I can sleep easy now.

Bet she can too, I bet whilst she was there she was wondering if she was going to stay safe, I bet she was also wondering who organise all this..................

 

[FB]

You cynical lot, the poor old dear was probably frightened out of her wits. I can't imagine her daughter was cool about the whole thing. Wasn't there an attempt to kidnap Jenson Button in Brazil a few years ago? Somewhere else to knock off my list of potential holiday locations. I think I'm now left with Bognor and Tenby.

 

[cider_and_toast]

You know it's a bad idea to go somewhere when the local Police admit they can't protect you.

Olympics 2016: Rio police warn tourists - CNN.com

 

[FB]

In the late 70's early 80's the drivers were taken to and from the circuit in Buenos Aires by armoured convey. Nice to know the situation in South America has moved on.