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Bernie Ecclestone has always been a man of strong opinions, and has got himself into some hot water in the past for some of his out dated and old fashioned opinions on not just Formula One, but life in general.
His latest interview, in an exclusive with British newspaper The Telegraph, it seems he just cannot help himself when it comes down to controversial subjects. He speaks his mind, yes, but should he say it? Probably not. It is for this very reason that he and Chase Carey fell out, and why he hasn’t been to a grand prix since Abu Dhabi in 2019. His comments regarding the Black Lives Matter movement last year prompted Sir Lewis Hamilton to state that they were “uneducated and ignorant”.
The former CEO of Formula One is seen as an old dinosaur, but you need to remember, the sport wouldn’t be what it is today without his “wheeling and dealing” and his management of the sport. That being said, his latest thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement is not to be brushed under the carpet.
Talking to The Telegraph, he claims that seven time world champion Hamilton, is being “used” by the movement and that he does not like seeing the sport used as a political tool, even going as far as banning the BLM t-shirts that were worn by the drivers in support.
“If I’d have still been around there wouldn’t have been anyone wearing [anti-racism] T-shirts on the podium, that’s for sure,” Ecclestone says. “One hundred per cent, there wouldn’t have been this business of kneeling before races. I agree the sport should do more to encourage diversity but it shouldn’t be used as a [political] tool.”
In regards to the comments made last year, and the reaction from Hamilton, he goes on the defensive.
“I don’t think he really understood what I was saying,” said Ecclestone. “I agree we need to give more people a chance. Don’t forget I was the first person to put a black guy in a Formula 1 car. And I supported him and have supported an awful lot of black people. But Lewis is entitled to his view.”
“But I’ve said to his father, ‘Lewis needs to be careful. Because he’s being used by the people who are supporting this Black Lives Matter and they are taking a lot of money from it. And nobody knows where it goes.”
He has also been vocal on the criticism that the sport has faced over choosing to race in Saudi Arabia. Naturally, he is delighted that it is on the race calendar. “After that journalist [was murdered] everyone was saying ‘This is disgusting. Nobody should go there.’ In two years it’s forgotten,” he says. “They make a lot of fuss over things for the wrong reasons. For political reasons.”
It doesn’t matter what the subject is, the 90 year old has an opinion on it. From the dominance of Mercedes, to the “lack of characters” in the sport and why he believes the sport should revert back to V10 engines (it’s “show business” apparently), he has shown no remorse for his comments. Although some of his thoughts will resonate with die hard F1 fans, many are out dated.
This is from the man that said last year the 2020 season should have been “scrapped”………
To read the interview in full, go to https://www.telegraph.co.uk/formula-1/2021/03/22/bernie-ecclestone-exclusive-black-lives-matter-using-lewis-hamilton/
Image Credit: Getty Images/XPB
Source: The Telegraph
