Does this issue’s assessment of the current state of racing seem too positive? Well, have we got the antidote for you! Prepare yourself for a dose of Bernard Charles Ecclestone, one-time Formula 1 supremo and perpetual crank:
This story originally appeared in Volume 13 of Road & Track.
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On Vladimir Putin and the cancellation of the Russian Grand Prix after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: “There is no war in Russia. . . . He is probably
not happy at all with what is happening, but with all these things going on, and him being branded a criminal and with the world against him, I don’t think he would care too much about a Formula 1 race.” —PA Media, March 2022
On his friendship with Putin: “I’d still take a bullet for him. I’d rather it didn’t hurt. . . . He’s a first-class person, and what he’s doing is something that he believed was the right thing he was doing for Russia.” —Good Morning Britain, June 2022
On Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, after slight reflection: “Often people, I think, come out and say things or do things without really too much thinking. Probably I did the same. And I could understand people thinking that I’m defending what he’s done in Ukraine, which I don’t.” —Sky Sports F1, July 2022
On Nelson Piquet’s racial slur toward Lewis Hamilton:
“I’ve known Nelson for an awful long time. . . . It’s not the sort of thing Nelson would say meaning something bad. Very often these things get said, and he’s Brazilian. When he came to England, he didn’t speak any English, so he probably picked up the English sense of humor, and he probably thinks lots of things that he says which might upset
us . . . to him is nothing, is just part of conversation.”—Good Morning Britain, June 2022 [Note: Piquet’s remark was in Portuguese, a language in which the three-time world champion is fluent.]
On Hamilton’s reaction: “People talk about people if they happen to be a little bit overweight or a little bit undersized like me. I’m quite sure a lot of people have made remarks about that. If I’d have heard it, I’d have been able to deal with it myself without too much trouble. And I’m surprised that Lewis hasn’t sort of just brushed it aside.” —Good Morning Britain, June 2022
On Hamilton’s criticism of his reaction: “Lewis has forgotten a lot. When Mercedes didn’t want to pay him what he asked for, I immediately said I’d pay the difference. Because Formula 1 needs a person of color, a Chinese, and a woman.” —Blick, July 2022
Earlier on female drivers in Formula 1: “She would have to be a woman who was blowing away the boys. . . . What I would really like to see happen is to find the right girl, perhaps a Black girl with super looks, preferably Jewish or Muslim, who speaks Spanish.” —Atlas F1, 2000
On social media: “I’m not interested in tweeting, Facebook, and whatever this nonsense is. I tried to find out but in any case I’m too old-fashioned. I couldn’t see any value in it. . . . I don’t know why people want to get to the so-called young generation. Why do they want to do that? Is it to sell them something? Most of these kids haven’t got any money. I’d rather get to the 70-year-old guy who’s got plenty of cash. . . . If marketers are aiming at this audience, then maybe they should advertise with Disney.” —Campaign Asia-Pacific, 2014
On the Liberty Media takeover of F1: “I liked the old F1 logo better, but this is not important. I liked grid girls too. What I don’t like is Formula 1 races on the telephones and small devices.” —Akrapovič Lifestyle Magazine, 2019
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