Big breaking news across every respectable motorsport website regarding now former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone being removed as F1 boss.
Much less respectable websites like ours are also attempted to report on it too.
The F1 supremo or powerbroker tag is one that seems to be almost mandatory to proceed his name, similar to Graeme Richardson as former ALP powerbroker around election time.
But Bernie Ecclestone deserved his F1 surpremo tag. He turned the sports from a reasonably amateur annual competition run by over zealous local national motorsport bodies and the French, to a multi billin empire that is only second to Olympics and World Cups.
But like most highly successful and driven people, Bernie Ecclestone could also be a jerk. It doesn’t mean he was always wrong, in fact he usually right (and forthright), but he did it his way.
BERNIE ECCLESTONE MOST MEMORABLE QUOTES
His way did include offending quite a number of people aon the way.
Here is a selection of his more memorable quotes.
- “You know I’ve got one of those wonderful ideas…women should be dressed in white like all the other domestic appliances”
- “I think the change that is currently taking place is very short-lived, as these social media people are starting to think it is not as good as they thought,”
- “In a lot of ways, terrible to say this I suppose,” Ecclestone began, “but apart from the fact that Hitler got taken away and persuaded to do things that I have no idea whether he wanted to do or not, he was in the way that he could command a lot of people, able to get things done.”
- “Anyone who doesn’t speak English isn’t worth speaking to “
- “If you say ‘Good Morning’ in America and it’s five past twelve you end up with a lawsuit.”
- “Waiters are like hookers, never around when you want them. “
Quotes originally from The Bleacher Report and A to Z Quotes
WILL BERNIE ECCLESTONE BE MISSED?
Eventually he probably will be. It could one of those classic cases of better the devil you know.
The new F1 owners from the USA will want to do things differently, especially after it is claimed one of the main reason Bernie Ecclestone got the arse was the lack of forward movement of F1 in the last 5 years.
Maybe that has something to do with Bernie’s complete ignorance of social media, or that people are bored shitless of another Tilke track in some location they’ll never visit.
Or maybe the US based new owners want F1 to compete with NASCAR and their 385 races a year. There will no doubt be a few more US based GPs before the decade is out surely.
Then there’s the news Ross Brawn is part of the brains trust. In our opinion Roos Brawn is the last person you want shaping the sporting side of F1. His last attempt was to be a large part of the Overtaking Working Group to work out how to improve F1’s on track racing. What ensued was his team Brawn and two other team blatantly going against “the spirit of the regulations” with Doubl Deck Diffusers. Brawn did it best and had the Championship won before the others could copy it properly.
But the way Brawn went about it stunk. That’s after years of having F1 bent to whim of Ferrari and Schumacher. The 2003 Michelin “too square a tyre” decision and 2006 Alonso holding up Massa at Monza being some of the very worst.
For all of Bernie’s jerkdom, he knew what he was doing. And will be hard to replace properly. Certainly not by one person.
WHAT CAN HE DO NOW?
With all his money, and at the age of 86, the simple answer would be to put the feet up on the piles of money and watch F1 go and have an I Told You So ready. Or maybe we could suggest a new career. So for the former Used Car Salesman and F1 entrant we have a few suggestions.
TAKEOVER OF MANOR F1 – perhaps he could reprise his role as Team Owner (formerly at Brabham in the 70’s and 80’s) and attempt to get the team further up the grid with the prehistoric payment structure that he set up that heavily favours Ferrari and a handful of front runners.
F1 PUNDIT – he could be another Niki Lauda type who provides great, honest quotes and one liners. He wouldn’t even have to go to the races. Why not have a spare Sky Sports type at his home with a microphone, and have it parked under his nose every 10 minutes for his thoughts. It may liven up some of the Mercedes dominated processions.
MEMBER OF TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TEAM – given his respect for Putin and general demeanour, surely he could find himself in the Trump inner circle.
CEO OF WOOLWORTHS GROUP – Given the failures of Woolworths with Masters and another failed attempt at a loyalty program, they could do with a decent CEO.
GOODBYE BERNIE
For all his token new position, it’s unlikely we’ll see much more of Bernie Ecclestone. Time will tell if F1 can be better without him. It will different sure, but better? Hmmmmmm. A shame as he was always entertaining.
