f1 boss puts foot in mouth

[GB-man]

http://blog.caranddriver.com/epic-fa...est-interview/

Seems this guy is out of touch with reality. He makes fun of everyone from young fans, to poor people and f1 teams and even women of course.

[SearChart]

I think it's time for a new F1 boss.

[GradyPhilpott]

That's just Bernie.

Has he ever been any different?

I haven't read the actual interview, so I will reserve judgement on his comments, but I do think it's time the world come to the realization that a man's opinions are just that.

Alvin Dark died the other day and his entire obituary in one source was about one comment he made some 50 years ago.

He once predicted that his obituary would be all about that his remarks and he was right.

Leave the man alone and let him run F1.

He'll be gone soon enough and then we can see what is successor will do.

[Kingair]

I don't care what ever he says or thinks

Never met him in person but probably not the guy I wanna spend a night together at the bar . . . or should I ?

[texex91]

Not a shock--he's a strange one and especially the way he even treats teams. He's always looking out for #1--himself and his bank account.

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

That's just Bernie.

Has he ever been any different?

I haven't read the actual interview, so I will reserve judgement on his comments, but I do think it's time the world come to the realization that a man's opinions are just that.

Alvin Dark died the other day and his entire obituary in one source was about one comment he made some 50 years ago.

He once predicted that his obituary would be all about that his remarks and he was right.

Leave the man alone and let him run F1.

He'll be gone soon enough and then we can see what is successor will do.

I don't know enough about Bernie to comment on this being unusual, though you're probably right.

That said, voice your opinions publicly and be ready for criticism. It's always been that way.

Nobody in their right mind would think this is a good strategy for long term growth of F1. It's ludicrous.

[DCgator]

Originally Posted by texex91

Not a shock--he's a strange one and especially the way he even treats teams. He's always looking out for #1--himself and his bank account.

He's not alone in this regard. There are dozen more billionaires just like him tho smart enough to not give interviews expressing their opinions....

[Challenger Deep]

I think it was Luca Di Montezemolo that said he looked "senile." He was right. In that same interview, Montezemolo said that he "...has a responsibility to save F1." He's right.

While we've had good races this year, some of the best, Silverstone, Montreal, Hungary, Spa, Bahrain, fans are not conceded with fuel consumption and "preserving the tyres...preserving the fuel consumption..." yada yada yada. Fans want to see fast cars, high top speeds, hear the cars and be wowed by them through sheer power, not how "the electronics are wired and the complicated linkage."

No sir, no. Bring back 1990 V10 spec engines and put those in the car and then we have racing.

[Laszlo]

Originally Posted by Kingair

I don't care what ever he says or thinks

Never met him in person but probably not the guy I wanna spend a night together at the bar . . . or should I ?

This guy comes from an old-school mindset which isn't bad at all - he's been and seen F1 at its best, but recently, F1 is off my hobby list.

The EU and regulations and all the politics have literally ruined the sport.

[zama]

Bernie created modern F1 (sponsorship/released value of TV etc0 and will probably destroy it as well, sadly a sport that has so many competing interests need an oligarch to control it, Bernie's time as that person is up, Jean Todt might be the one to step into the breach, sadly bernie's quest for cash has no end, so don't seem him deposing himself anytime soon. In reality there is no alternative to take the mantle Indy cars has limited appeal, LeMans prototypes has taken itself down the same economy route, and ultimately is long distance racing.

[zama]

Bernie created modern F1 (sponsorship/released value of TV etc0 and will probably destroy it as well, sadly a sport that has so many competing interests need an oligarch to control it, Bernie's time as that person is up, Jean Todt might be the one to step into the breach, sadly bernie's quest for cash has no end, so don't seem him deposing himself anytime soon. In reality there is no alternative to take the mantle Indy cars has limited appeal, LeMans prototypes has taken itself down the same economy route, and ultimately is long distance racing.

[rr-nyc]

I only skimmed through the article but as Grady said, this is just Bernie. He is the poster child of F1 who has taken it's exclusionary approach to the sport to a new level.

F1 doesn't care about manufacturers, sponsors, or fans that don't have money.

[bayerische]

He is what he is... He won't get more from me than this.

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by GB-man

Nobody in their right mind would think this is a good strategy for long term growth of F1.

At Bernie's age, he shouldn't even by ripe fruit, much less be overly concerned about long-term growth.

Is long-term growth important? Yes.

Will Bernie be around long enough to care. No.

His successors will have to deal with that issue and I'm sure that everything will be fine, I think.

If memory serves it was Ecclestone who made F1 the premier motor sport.

Seeing what Bill France, Jr., has done with NASCAR, I'm not sure F1 will ever be what it has been under Ecclestone's reign.

[77T]

..and he doesn't wear a Rolex - bah, humbug



He evokes the Golden Rule - the one with the gold makes the rules...

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

Seeing what Bill France, Jr., has done with NASCAR, I'm not sure F1 will ever be what it has been under Ecclestone's reign.

That statement was in error. I, of course, meant to say Brian France.

[Rock]

Bernie was/is an entrepreneur. His main contribution has been to turn F1 it into a massive money-generating industry (mainly for himself) .Whether you like where he's taken it depends very much on your own conception of what F1 should be.
I'm a big fan of people being able to say what they like without actually exhorting others to violence. (implies no affirmation or otherwise of his utterances)

[shay2nak]

He's an idiot. Can't wait till he's gone from F1.

[Challenger Deep]

Bernie made F1 a world known sport, something that he wanted and he wanted to make money. Before he made money, if you'll remember the lap times and championship points were decided and scored on paper clip boards with the wives and girlfriends of drivers keeping score. F1 was not organized in the sense we know it today. In that manner, it was organized, but foreign to what we know now. He made it what it is today, and for that i have two things to say: 1)Thanks for making it accessible and world known so i can watch it and 2) Please let Montezemolo take over.