Bernie Ecclestone has reiterated his desire to see the 2009 French Grand Prix held in Paris instead of its current venue Magny-Cours: We agreed that there would be a French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours in 2008 but not in 2009. Prime Minister Francois Fillon told me we would then see if we could have a … Continue reading No more Magny-Cours? Heard it before
Bernie Ecclestone articles archive
Weigl Group is latest Super Aguri saviour
Posted onThis sounds a bit familiar: A new group has launched a rescue bid for the Super Aguri team, who were only able to contest last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix thanks to an 11th-hour rescue package from Honda.
The richest men in motor racing
Posted onI’ve just had a look through the Sunday Times’ annual list of the 1,000 richest people in Britain to see who they reckon the richest Britons in motor racing are. Here are the ones I was able to find – do let me know if you think I’ve missed any. No prizes for guessing who … Continue reading The richest men in motor racing
Ecclestone changes tune on Mosley
Posted onBernie Ecclestone has changed his mind about the Max Mosley scandal and admitted it creates problems for Formula 1. Ecclestone previously said: “What people do privately is up to them. I don?σΤιΌΤδσt honestly believe [the scandal] affects the sport in any way.” However he is quoted in today’s Times saying Mosley should not go to … Continue reading Ecclestone changes tune on Mosley
New twist in McLaren pitlane row
Posted onThe Bahrain International Circuit has revealed that McLaren has been moved to the far end of the pit lane for next weekend’s race. A statement on the circuit’s website says: Late notice arrived to announce that instead of garages 15-18, the Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes team would take up residence in garages 33-35. McLaren were originally expected … Continue reading New twist in McLaren pitlane row
Jean-Marie Balestre, 1921-2008
Posted onI was saddened this evening to learn of the death of Jean-Marie Balestre. Balestre was the president of the Commision Sportive Internationale from 1978, and formed the Federation Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA), the fore-runner of today’s FIA. He became president of the FIA in 1986 (despite having a coronary artery by-pass graft that same … Continue reading Jean-Marie Balestre, 1921-2008
Ecclestone on Hamilton and Raikkonen
Posted onIt’s always interesting to hear what the most powerful man in Formula 1 thinks of the sport’s drivers. Bernie Ecclestone hailed Lewis Hamilton as the new Michael Schumacher and said he wants to see a rivalry developed between him and world champion Kimi Raikkonen.
Bernie Ecclestone talks some sense
Posted onBernie Ecclestone is talking about getting rid of championship points: What I want to see is the winner of the most number of races as world champion, and second places only to be used if the top two finish the season with the same number of wins. The constructors would keep the existing system. And … Continue reading Bernie Ecclestone talks some sense
F1 news review: Dennis not quitting
Posted onDennis insists he will not quit – Ron Dennis refutes rumours about his future saying he will not step down from McLaren. He apparently held a meeting with the team staff to tell them before flying out to Melbourne. More here. Late start won’t save GP says Ecclestone – The Australian Grand Prix organisers offered … Continue reading F1 news review: Dennis not quitting
Super Aguri in, McLaren promoted
Posted onThe teams have arrived at Melbourne for the first race of the season – and the McLaren and Super Aguri trailers have already generated a pair of headlines.
F1 news review: Changes to Canadian GP track
Posted onIn the F1 news this week the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve gets some changes – but are they safety fixes or just cosmetic tweaks? Also in the F1 news this week a pair of excellent features in “The Times”, one adapted from the hugely expensive new book “F1 Opus”. Plus Michael Schumacher on Nico Rosberg, and … Continue reading F1 news review: Changes to Canadian GP track
Interview: F1 journalist Nigel Roebuck
Posted onNigel Roebuck hasn’t missed many races since he started covering Grands Prix in 1971, but when he skipped the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos for the first time, he wrote about relieved he was not to be going to Sao Paulo ?σΤιΌΤΗ£ and incurred the wrath of the most powerful man in Formula 1: When … Continue reading Interview: F1 journalist Nigel Roebuck
Video: Why is there no Dubai Grand Prix?
Posted onWhen Bernie Ecclestone sits down after his dinner with a globe and ticks off countries he’s added to the F1 calendar in the last five years (Bahrain, China, Abu Dhabi, India, Korea) I wonder why he keeps skipping past Dubai? It’s already setting up its own F1 theme park (see video below) F1-X which will … Continue reading Video: Why is there no Dubai Grand Prix?
Bernie Ecclestone is bored with Formula 1 (updated)
Posted onMany thanks to Alex who alerted me to this fascinating interview with Bernie Ecclestone in the Daily Mail. The article does not appear to have been written for Formula 1 fans and so Ecclestone did not get a grilling him on the kind of questions I would put to him – like why a sport … Continue reading Bernie Ecclestone is bored with Formula 1 (updated)
Is Bernie Ecclestone sticking up for McLaren again?
Posted onRumours abound that McLaren will not have to set up base at the poor end of the pit lane this year after all. Frecon spotted this in a Spanish newspaper and the report has also been run by the Finnish publication Turun Sanomat. Allegedly, Bernie Ecclestone has struck a deal with the teams to let … Continue reading Is Bernie Ecclestone sticking up for McLaren again?
Bernie Ecclestone makes demands for Silverstone
Posted onBernie Ecclestone has explained what Silverstone need to do if it is to keep the British Grand Prix for 2010 and beyond. It gives rare insight into how stringent his requirements are: What other countries would normally do is enter into a commercial agreement. We would want a letter of credit to cover two years’ … Continue reading Bernie Ecclestone makes demands for Silverstone
The future of the Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne
Posted onBernie Ecclestone has been quoted in an Australian newspaper casting doubt on the future of the race: Maybe we don’t want to be in Australia. Our costs are very high in Australia and we get a lot less money. It’s bloody bad for us. We’ve got quite a few places on the list that would … Continue reading The future of the Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne
The FIA owe Prodrive an apology
Posted onTomorrow it will be 19 months since the FIA confirmed that Prodrive would be the 12th team in Formula 1 in 2008. Last week David Richards confirmed what many people had suspected for a long time: that Prodrive will not be racing in F1 next year. Prodrive’s absence next year is because the FIA have … Continue reading The FIA owe Prodrive an apology
F1 07 review: The worst moments
Posted onIt’s been a season of thrilling highs and gut-wrenching lows. Yesterday I named the most exciting F1 moments in 2007 – here are the occasions that filled me with despair…
“Bernie’s Game” – Terry Lovell
Posted onTerry Lovell’s biography peels back some of the layers of intrigue that surround Bernie Ecclestone.