Liberty Media wants to get rid of the Ecclestone era
Bernie Ecclestone, who lost his position as FOM CEO after Liberty Media bought the sport, thinks the Americans want to erase him from history.
The American group Liberty Media, which completed the acquisition of F1 earlier in the year, simultaneously ended Bernie Ecclestone’s 40-year reign at the helm of the premier motorsport discipline. The Briton, who remains chairman emeritus of Formula 1, spoke about the conditions of his departure and his feelings regarding the vision of the sport’s new leaders.
« I can’t do anything, they even told the staff they shouldn’t talk to me ». Ecclestone tells the British newspaper Daily Mail. « They want to get rid of the Bernie era: let’s get rid of Bernie’s history. They always say the same thing. They probably think it makes me happy, but it doesn’t: “He did a great job, a fantastic job, but we have to move on,” and they might be right. » adds the Brit.
Now the emeritus president of Formula 1, Ecclestone believes that he and Liberty Media do not share the same vision of what F1 should be: « I see things differently compared to other people. Everyone wants to go to a restaurant where they can’t get a table. So, I was very strict with things like paddock passes. In F1, we ran a three-star Michelin guide restaurant, not a fast-food joint. But maybe now the cuisine will be more accessible. Maybe it will even taste better. »
For him, the new owners of F1 are inspired by disciplines across the Atlantic: « Liberty’s philosophy is more open. They have an American culture, and in an American race, everyone is in the paddock and the pits, and they can talk to the drivers and sit in their cars. »
Ecclestone, however, takes a step back on the events: “I tried to run the company as a director, to make profits for the shareholders. I knew that CVC (former owners of F1) wanted to sell the company. I was doing everything I could to ensure the company was in a position to make good profits to be able to sell. They let me do things the way I thought they should be done. Life changes and you have to change with it. I’m terribly envious of Chase (Carey, CEO of the FOM) because he’s in the great position to be able to do lots of things I wanted to do and couldn’t do,” concluded the now somewhat bitter former “Grand argentier de la F1.”
