Bernie Ecclestone not certain to remain the “boss” of F1 in 2015
In an interview with the British newspaper Mirror, Bernie Ecclestone, a key figure in Formula 1 for forty years, revealed that he is considering retirement. According to him, it has nothing to do with legal issues. He is thinking of leaving at the peak of his career.
Bernie Ecclestone will celebrate his 84th birthday on October 28th. The right age to retire? « I have to start thinking about it. Do I want to reach 85 doing what I’ve been doing for how many years? », he wonders in an interview with the British newspaper Mirror.
This reflection would have no relation to the judicial cases launched against him, notably in Munich where, next April, he will have to respond to the statements made by Gerhard Gribkowsky during his own trial. The German banker announced that he received a bribe from “Mister E” in the context of the sale of shares held by BayernLB. While the F1 CEO acknowledges having made this payment, he disputes the reason for it. According to him, it was to safeguard against potential accusations by the British tax authorities.
No, it’s more the way things are handled today that bothers him, with accounts to report to different governance bodies. The various committees, ethics committees, and God knows what other councils that need to be accounted to. I didn’t know all these things at the time. And probably if it had been that way, I wouldn’t have stayed as long as I did.
Leaving at the peak of their art?
For him, it is a negative evolution of the world of economics. And the more time passes, the more we will be limited. That is how the world goes. It’s becoming like that. I don’t agree with it. What we are slowly but surely heading towards is getting rid of entrepreneurs. Eliminating people who don’t fit the mold.
In his eyes, Bernie Ecclestone would rather leave at the peak of his art: “The most important thing is to know when to hang up your boxing gloves so as not to get in the ring and try to find a hiding place,” he says. It’s certain that he is largely the one who modernized the face of Formula 1, transforming it from a competition between amateur mechanics to a commercial industry worth billions of euros. Judging whether it’s good or not for the sport depends on which side of the fence you’re on.
