Germany's Central Council of Jews on Monday urged motor racing teams to boycott Formula One after its supremo Bernie Ecclestone praised Adolf Hitler's ability to "get things done."
Ecclestone, 78, was quoted in The Times on Saturday as saying he preferred totalitarian regimes to democracies and as singling out Hitler for pushing things through effectively.
"No team should work with him any more -- a boycott would be more than appropriate," said the Council's vice president, Dieter Graumann.
Graumann said Ecclestone was "either empty headed or unbelievably malicious -- probably both" and said he risked driving the whole of Formula One into a wall.
Germany's Grand Prix takes place at the Nuerburgring this weekend.
"Just one week before the start of the Nuerburgring, the teams should make very clear that whoever praises Hitler, shows he is not serious," Graumann said in an interview with Handelsblatt newspaper. The Council confirmed the quotes.
Ecclestone was quoted in The Times as saying:
"In a lot of ways, terrible to say this I suppose, 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."
German media also reported that Guenther Oettinger, state premier of the southern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, had cancelled a planned meeting with Ecclestone on the sidelines of the Nuerburgring race because of his comments about Hitler.
Ecclestone tried to clarify his comments in top-selling Bild newspaper on Monday.
"It is all a big misunderstanding. In the interview we talked about structures and that it's sometimes good if something can be handled stringently and decided without limits," he said.
Asked by Bild why he had praised Hitler, Ecclestone said:
"I did not mention Hitler as a positive example but I just pointed out that before his terrible crimes, he succeeded in fighting unemployment and the economic crisis."
Asked if he wanted to apologise, he said:
"I would never dream of hurting the feelings of a community. A lot of people among my closest friends are Jews. Everyone that knows me, knows that I would never attack minorities."
(Reporting by Madeline Chambers, editing by Tim Pearce)
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No wonder he gets along so well with Max
It's madness mate....F1 has gone mad and so has the world of motorsports right now...Infact...look around? I think everyone is up for the game right now, they just wanna blow up the story and make it into something is was never meant to be...You're right EGK, we have gotta remember our history for what is was. And some of it is terrible, but still we have to know it and avoid making those mistakes again. We can't siply erase moments in history made my terrible people cos we don't like the outcomes. If we forget that Germany was on its knees begging to the rest of Europe for food, money, jobs and stability then we'll forget why Hitler even got into power in the first place. And if we forget that he turned it around before he went mad, then we will never know where and why he went to war! If we erase it, then none of it will ever make sense to anyone....
All I can think of is "Blown out of proportion"....The comments should be taken as such...Eclestone is himself hailing from a strong Jewish background. For sure, the comments will outrage some people, but only those narrow minded enough not to read the whole dialogue and understand it properly. This particular comments has been taken out of context, and is part of the "selective quotation" that the press love to use. It is meant to provoke comments and circulation of news papers. In many ways it is the same as during the Dunblane tragedy Prince Philip made a quote "Cricket bats can be as dangerous in the wrong hands". The people of the UK were shocked. Until we saw the whole quote being "Cricket bats can we as dangerous as any weopon in the hands of an unstable person with a clear intent." My point is, the Jewish community seem to be very easily outraged these days. Particularly in America where any reflection to the attrocities in Palestine seem to mean the person making the comments is branded anti-simitic. People come on, free speech has it's costs, it has its dangers. But please, be sensible, and this means everyone. Comments about Hitler can have a baring on today, we need to know our history, so that the same mistakes can never be made again. Before the war, most of the world was convinced of Hitler's sensible planing and economic prowess. Is it Anti-simitic to say that? No ofcourse not. But according to some people it is. Is this madness? Maybe....
From Tosh. This site is full of RETARDS who know NOTHING about F1
These are the last days of Bernie and Max.
In support of the recent revelation
MARNIO FROM PERU IS OF INDIAN AND PAKISTANI ORIGIN
HE GAVE UP HIS COVER BY MISTAKINGLY COMMENTING IN THE INDIA AND PAKISTAN CRICKET FORUMS USING ONE OF HIS PSEUDONAMES
HE OBVIOUSLY LIVES IN THE UK BUT HATES US. BRITAIN SPLIT HIS COUNTRY IN TO TWO PIECES (APPARENTLY)
COPY AND PASTE IF YOU WISH TO ALWAYS P!SS HIM OFF!
What on earth has happened to F1 racing ?...All we hear these days is about Eccles cake and and his Nazi mate dictating the whole thing ,so that they can line their pockets with more money.I am absolutely sick of all the infighting and back stabbing ruining a really great sport.
Unfortunately Bernie doesn't know and can't even imagine where he would be if Hitler's ideologies were supported. I don't think we would have F1. Look around in systems where they lack democracy. Its all religion (ideologies) and no sports (lately, they may be putting up some sporting structures out of curiosity).
I feel sad to be drawn into this time wasting debate. If Bernie wants to advertise F1 through controversies, let him pick some logically intelligent controversy and not this Hitler rubbish. Grow up Bernie, you should know better after living thru history.
From generation to generation, human resource management has evolved around human awareness/rights, and dictatorship/draconian rule has no room in modern society. We are progressing and the world will never, ever celebrate another mentally retarded individuals again. Can we advertise F1 with some positive ideas please.
On the one hand, Bernie is right, Hitler did get things done, and was very successful in fighting unemployment and the economic crisis, he created the deadliest war machine in history, just one problem Bernie, Hitler's vision, was based on a super race, so where does a little runt like you fit into the that?
Good to see that others have had enough of him like the fans of F1 and want him out. I hope he keeps it up. For some reason all involved in F1 seem unwilling to remove themselves from him, at this point I don't no what it is going to take, and yes he can be removed. He does not control CVC solely, he was appointed to his position based on past success. The Bankers at CVC could have him removed in a second if they though he was doing a bad job. Come on guys, can't you see the damage he is doing??????
"Everyone that knows me, knows that I would never attack minorities."
- Wow that is some statement, guess Bernie thinks he is part of the master race. He isn't: greedy, mentally ill people with a nepoleaonic complex are a minority though.
no way why?
remove him from power now!
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