Bernie will fight for F1 future

Eurosport - Tue, 23 Jun 15:08:00 2009

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone said he was not prepared to see the sport collapse in the face of the breakaway movement from eight F1 teams.

FORMULA 1 Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone arrives in the paddock in Silverstone - 0

"I have given 35 years of my life and more to Formula One. My marriage broke up because of Formula One, so I am sure as hell not going to let things disintegrate over what is, in the end, basically nothing," he told The Times.

"If you analyse the problems, there aren't any that can?t be easily solved."

Ecclestone said that if the Formula One Teams Association went ahead with their decision to create a breakaway series, only disaster would follow.

"If that started, everybody would be suing everybody else and there would be no other series," he told the newspaper.

"There would be nothing. It would be finished -- it would be a total disaster. Everyone would spend a fortune on lawyers and nothing will happen."

Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, BMW Sauber, Toyota, Brawn GP, Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso, under the FOTA banner, said last week they would not sign up to next year's world championship and would start their own series in 2010.

It was the culmination of a bitter dispute over plans by Max Mosley, president of F1's ruling body the FIA, to introduce a voluntary £40 budget cap. The FIA has now threatened legal action against the teams.

Ecclestone refused to take sides in the dispute, saying: "It's not a case of joining anybody against anybody... I know full well I have to keep Formula One on the road."

But he said any calls for Mosley to go would only likely make his old friend more determined to stand for another four-year term as president in October.

"Frankly, if this hadn't had all come about like this, I think Max's intentions were that he wasn't going to stand again. The trouble with Max is, when he is challenged, it makes him want to stay on," Ecclestone said.

He also defended Mosley's cost-cutting plans as part of an attempt to save the sport, and said that if the teams committed themselves to Formula One for the next five years, he might drop the plans.

"We want the teams to commit. I've always said I don't care what they spend as long as they commit," Ecclestone said.

AFP

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  1. I HAVE AN EVEN BETTER IDEA.
    WHY DONT ALL THE TRUE FANS­ OF F1 BOYCOTT THE BRITISH GP WHEN IT LEAVES SILVERSTONE­ AND I MEAN THAT INCLUDES BUYING TICKETS AND WATCHING IT­ ON TV, ADVERTISERS WOULD HAVE TO STAND UP AND ASK WHY­ RATINGS ARE SO LOW AND MAYBE THEY WOULD THEN MOVE IT­ BACK IF BERNIE AND MAX DONT GET PAID SO MUCH FOR­ IT!!!!
    IT WOULD ONLY TAKE 2 YRS OF NO-ONE WATCHING OR­ BUYING TICKETS TO MAKE THEM MOVE IT BACK BECAUSE THE­ ADVERTISING MONEY IN THE UK IS ASTRONOMICAL FOR ADVERTS­ DURING F1 AND IF THEY ASK FOR THEIR MONEY BACK CAUSE OF­ THE LOW RATINGS U CAN BET BERNIE AND MAX WILL LOSE OUT­ BIG TIME
    I MYSELF WONT BE WATCHING IT WHEN IT MOVES SO­ I HOPE ALL U FANS OUT THERE DO THE SAME.

    From fcukbuddy1983, on Wed 24 Jun 3:29PM

  2. Why Ecclestone keeps saying this dispute is over­ "basically nothing" is denial of the abyss­ facing him. Max appears as arrogant as ever if it is­ true he may stand for another four years when in fact­ he should have retired four years ago at sixty five­ years old. Looking forward to watching both race­ series.

    From Peter, on Wed 24 Jun 10:44AM

  3. One interesting fact, what TV channel will the new­ series be shown on? and will we have to pay for it?­ (Sky)?

    From steffi, on Wed 24 Jun 9:39AM
  4. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    a max a mosley a just like a muppet a gordon brown­­­ willa run a F1 into the a ground before hea leave a­­­ like brown a done toa britain mistake after a mistake­­­ anda lies a after a lies but a still hea will a nota­­­ GO..me a also stilla not a sure a who the a uglyier a­­ me a potter ora stunning a jeanette

    From , on Wed 24 Jun 8:08AM

  5. Bernie is the problem even more then Mosley.
    Don't­ forget he made his billions while some teams were going­ bankrupt.
    With Bernie commercial rights being as they­ are, teams should definitely split and create their own­ venue.
    F1 fans will switch instantly, BECAUSE they are­ only interested to see the best drivers in the best­ cars. and got tired of fattening Bernie's bank­ account.

    From vinileg, on Wed 24 Jun 6:11AM

  6. A lot of posters are missing the point! Bernie and Max­ are two sides of the same Evil Talisman. FOTA, FIA or­ Divine Intervention; cannot remove Herr Mosley and­ carry on.
    Bernie has control of F1's commercial­ rights and will not relent.
    Therefore FOTA must form­ another series to have control over­ THEMSELVES!
    Ecclestone is a far greater threat than­ Herr Mosley!

    From Walking quiet, on Wed 24 Jun 5:28AM

  7. If Bernie REALLY wants to fight for an F1 futute, HE­ SHOULD BE LEADING THE CALL FOR
    MAX TO "GET­ OUT"!
    People can only take 'so much' of­ this garbage, so it is time to put the issue to­ rest!
    But that can ONLY be done when Max it­ gone!

    Barry-Toronto

    From Barry M, on Wed 24 Jun 1:35AM

  8. Bernie will fight for Bernie!

    From Walking quiet, on Tue 23 Jun 8:32PM

  9. I think a series without Max and Bernie would be a much­ needed relief from all the political stuff and nonsense­ that seems to cling to F1. Bernie really needs to­ retire and let go of F1. He did a lot to promote the­ sport in his earlier days, but now he's lot touch­ with the fan base where they want to see races and once­ you've lost the fan base you've lost the sport.­ Max is just there for Max's ego and has nothing­ postive whatsoever to offer F1.

    From Jim J., on Tue 23 Jun 7:23PM

  10. Devine Mrs M, Sir Frank Williams was knighted 10 years­ ago in 1999.

    From InuKun, on Tue 23 Jun 7:00PM

  11. Much the same reasoning that landed us with 2 BNP MEPs­ markrose260, that and sinking the Belgrano. Now the­ Iraq War inquest is to be mainly in public will there­ now be a public inquest on the sinking of that ship?

    From Rasputin, on Tue 23 Jun 2:57PM
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    HELLO MY LITTLE HOT HEADED BUDDIES THIS IS YOUR DEAR­ FRIEND MARINARO4 FROM CHILE, WHY ARE YOU SO ANGRY, YOUR­ TEMPER IS HOTTER THAN BOILER WHEN I COOK MY SOUP. MR­ HAMILTONS SON IS SUCH A WONDER AND NO ONE IS GIVING HIM­ ANY SUPPORT ON THIS SITE, SOME SAY THEY ARE THERE, BUT­ THEY ARE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP. WHY ARE YOU SO AFRAID, HAS­ MR HAMILTONS SON SHAMED YOU IN ANYWAY. HE IS SUCH A­ CREDIT TO ALL OF BRITAIN, ONE DAY HE WILL BE KNIGHTED,­ YOU WAIT AND SEE. I REALLY THOUGHT THAT GREAT BRITAIN­ WAS A WONDERFUL PLACE, BUT NOW THAT POISONED DWARF IS­ YOUR AMBASSADER, IS HE YOUR BEST MAN, NOW BRITAIN HAS­ LOST ALL HOPE WHEN THAT POISONED DWARF RULES THE ROOST­ WITH HIS CHEQUE BOOK. IF YOU BRITISH LOVE YOUR COUNTRY­ SO MUCH, WHY IS THIS POISONED DWARF IN CHARGE OF F1.­ SILVERSTONE IS SUCH A WONDERFUL PLACE, AND SHOULD BE­ NAMED THE HAMILTON INTERNATIONAL AUTODROME, IT'S A­ CREDIT TO YOU ALL, AND THE HOME OF BRITISH F1.­ DONNINGTON IS SUCH A DUMP, AND THAT POISONED DWARF­ HATES SILVERSTONE, DONNINGTON IS LIKE MY GOATS PEN UP­ HERE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF CHILE, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO­ TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR AUTORACING CIRCUITS. LOOK UP AND SEE­ THE RAIN CLOUDS IN THE SKY, AND KNOW THAT WHEN IT­ RAINS, THE CLOUDS ARE CRYING FOR YOU.

    From David, on Tue 23 Jun 1:56PM

  13. djhaydon Its in stark contrast to the Earl of­ March.This a man who has rebuilt Goodwood and he cares­ about the heritage thats been passed on.Put this way­ some of the drivers and owners of Formula One teams go­ to the Festival of Speed to chill out and put on a­ show.I don't think Max and Bernie will be going­ somehow or if they do they may get a frosty reception.

    From Rick Moth, on Tue 23 Jun 1:20PM
  14. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Really Rasp? How come she won three elections then?

    From markrose260, on Tue 23 Jun 1:07PM

  15. You can tell by the support for Silverstone,­ Indianapolis, Montreal, etc, that Ecclestone has lost­ touch with the sport. He is too old and too obsessed­ with his mate Mad Max. Both old men should gracefully­ move aside, instead of clinging on and ruining the­ sport we all love. We don't want threats of legal­ action, it should be about motor racing, not politics,­ but both have egos that won't allow common sense to­ rule, they revel too much in the power and wealth. So­ sad it has come to this, but old men so often suffer­ this type of mental degradation and end up destroying­ what they spent their lives trying to build. The few­ 'clever' ones, pass it on to younger men,­ ensuring the legacy they started lives on.

    From djhaydon, on Tue 23 Jun 12:53PM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Judging by the above pic Bernie is about to keel over­ & peg out is there anybody out there anymore that­ would give a $h1t if he did

    From U R SOLES, on Tue 23 Jun 12:51PM

  17. I don't think it is realistic to expect teams to­ run on a £40 budget; do you!

    From dougellio, on Tue 23 Jun 12:06PM

  18. A little change is good but to clip all the wing off,­ how can the bird fly? M.F.C.

    From Michael C, on Tue 23 Jun 11:08AM

  19. No John Maggie Thatcher did that years ago.

    From Rasputin, on Tue 23 Jun 10:08AM

  20. As has already been said the PD only wants to save F1­ because he see's his multi-million pound pay packet­ going pooff. He like the mad max are just dictators and­ anyone who saw the little s**t on tv last weekend will­ have seen him evade question after question with non­ commital comments. IT'S TIME FOR HIM TO GO!

    From dreamweaveruk, on Tue 23 Jun 9:34AM
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