F1 links: Ecclestone on F1 boycott threat
24th March 2009, 22:52 by Keith Collantine 14 Comments »
Flavio Briatore and Ron Dennis issue threat to boycott race
…according to Bernie Ecclestone.
"Teams To Blame" For North America Absence
Bernie Ecclestone: "The teams wanted too much money to race there. That was the problem."
Bernie Ecclestone on drivers, deals, dodgy cars . . . and divorce
Bernie Ecclestone on Brawn GP: “Can I put something in your mind. Ross Brawn is the guy that runs the teams’ technical committee and probably knows what’s going to happen before other people, or is in a position to guide things. There’s a massive conflict of interest.”
Red Bull threatens Brawn GP protest
Red Bull's Helmut Marko on the Brawn GP diffuser: "It's illegal: we'll make a protest on Thursday if the component isn't modified to conform to the regulations, because that diffuser guarantees a five-tenths-advantage per lap. Seven teams are certain it's illegal."
"Nick has recently been working in partnership with PUMA on the "Quick Nick shoe project": the racing star selected a pair of sneakers from the PUMA Spring 2009 collection and redesigned these in his own style."
Classic Australian GP – the winner
The 1994 and 1986 Australian Grands Prix as broadcast on the BBC's "Grand Prix" – great to see some classic F1 footage from the BBC, hoping for more in the future.
Ecclestone: I have only one regret – I’m ashamed at how I treated my pal Max
Ecclestone on Mosley and the sadomasochism scandal: "I have only one real regret in my entire life, said Ecclestone. I’m sorry about how I treated Max. I am ashamed of myself. Today, as 40 years ago, Max could have from me a signed open cheque because he wouldn’t do anything diabolical. We’ve gone through a hell of a lot together, a hell of a lot. A friend is someone who helps you when you’re in the s***. Max would do that for me, and that’s why I’m upset about it. But I was listening to other people and they were all telling me one thing – that he must go. People didn’t want to be in the same country as him, let alone in the same room."
Ecclestone on McLaren: "There is just a way about them, isn’t there? They all look like McLaren people. Ron doesn’t want to breed individuals, anyone who stands out. He wants to keep everything level. It really doesn’t help to build characters. Whereas Ferrari let people do what they like. So that’s what happens with Lewis. He is always frightened he is going to upset somebody so he holds himself back rather than just getting on with it."
Nelson Piquet Jnr on testing: "I got two or three days in the dry – and on only two days did I do more than 100 laps. The rest were averaging about 40 laps, so that's virtually nothing for a F1 car. It was difficult, and I got about a third of the mileage that Fernando [Alonso] got. So it is a bit frustrating, but let's forget that and try and concentrate on doing the best job here."
Interview: Jake Humphrey talks F1
Jake Humphrey on becoming the BBC's F1 presenter: "The way I look at it, being a CBBC presenter is like being a racing driver starting in the small formulas and building up."
These are links I’ve bookmarked using Delicious. You can see my Delicious profile here.
Gman said on 24th March 2009, 23:24
The teams wanted too much money to race in North America? Bernie, please explain…..
From everything I have seen, the teams have been very supportive of racing here, and they have never had any commercial involvement in the fees charged for a GP anyway. Since Martin Whitmarsh has taken over at McLaren, he’s even spoken up about the teams beocming involved in promoting races in the U.S. and Canada. So I would like to hear a proper explination from Bernie, because as far I know, it’s all his responsibility.
As for the reported boycott of the Austrailian GP, let me first say that I am relieved and happy that any such situation did not happen- most of all for the loyal fans who are paying good money to turn out for the race. With that said, I find the quotes from Bernie as being absolutley HILARIOUS- it reminds me of a schoolyard fight and the subsiquent argument in the principle’s office
The quote of the year in F1, no doubt!!!!
Leslie said on 25th March 2009, 0:53
Relax lads, we now know that the future of F1 is in safe hands; Bernie can still win p*****g matches!
Eric said on 25th March 2009, 0:54
The teams want too much to race in North America! Please Bernie!!!! The only cure for you is a handful of sleeping pills and a bottle of vodka. (Taken together)
scunnyman said on 25th March 2009, 5:23
Well the poison dwarf Bernie Ecclestone has got one thing right.
And that is that if the teams are gonna threaten him they have to go through with their threats. Or they will just look foolish. And this will make FOTA look weak.
Of course we’ve only got his word for the 2 men mentioned having done the threatening in the first place, and we know well how Ecclestone’s word works.
If FOTA just stick together and keep on at berie and max then they will have to back down eventually and let the teams have what they want. And then the fams ma get what we want too.
todd said on 25th March 2009, 7:20
Bernie talks way too much
DGR-F1 said on 25th March 2009, 8:19
Did Bernie get out of bed the wrong side that day? He certainly likes to get all his hits in first before anybody else can retaliate! But Bernie, remember who reads what you say, its us, the Fans. We aren’t impressed one bit with schoolboy fights between businessmen and their companies. We want the racing. And you don’t deliver!
How about we start following the example of ‘Fota-schmota’ and boycott the races too? (If that conversation actually happened). That would wipe the smile off your face!
TST said on 25th March 2009, 8:29
Bernie, what teams want is a equitable distruibition of the F1 income.
Income derived from events which they, not the FOM (parasitical leeches) or the FIA (sub-contracted and supposedly impartial regulators) provide.
Unfortunately ethics, fair play etc, have never really been part of F1 and when push comes to shove the teams, Mosley (+FIA) and Ecclestone’s (+FOM) behavior degenerates to that of a pack of rabid dogs, over time the conclusion one arrived at is they richly deserve each other.
PJA said on 25th March 2009, 8:54
I know Bernie comes out with all these things to get the headlines and political reasons and that he just doesn’t care what us fans think, but he really should shut up because he is just making himself look more stupid every day.
He may manage to fool people who don’t know much about the sport into believing him but we know the truth. Bernie chooses Grand Prix because of how much money he can make.
And his comment about no McLaren driver ever being popular made me laugh.
Arthur954 said on 25th March 2009, 10:43
It´s useless for us to complain. Mathusalem Bernie is going to be around forever.
Mathusalem & Mo are part of the landscape. What would we do without them ? we would be lost like little children without Bernie and Papa Mo
bigbadderboom said on 25th March 2009, 15:50
Bernie quote
“If they come in here with a gun and hold it to my head, they had better be sure they can f***ing pull the trigger,” he said. “And they should make sure it’s got bullets in it because, if they miss, they better look out.”
LMAO Bernie thinks hes staring in the Godfather now ha ha. The mans a crazy horse.
How can we have someone with a quote like this atributed to them running our sport, some serious small man syndrome going on here!!!
Arthur954 said on 25th March 2009, 22:55
Threat to boicott race …
The money that Bernie owes to Ron and Flavio is probably the extra bonus he gave to Ferrari. They should go down to Maranello and say :
” Lou, we want our money “
Arthur954 said on 26th March 2009, 0:00
The teams should stay united and bypass Bernie by hiring a top company like IMG to run the contracts with tracks, finding new sponsors, organising events with class and honorability, etc.
If they broke with Bernie, they could hit the ground running from day one and never look back.
IMG is the type of five star sporting talent and events company that operates at the highest levels of honorability and good standing. They have done amazing things for so many of the best sportsmen in history.
This would be so much better than the unpolished rabble than runs F1 today. Bernie acts like a mexican drug lord.
The Limit said on 27th March 2009, 3:27
Very interesting comments concerning McLaren and a quite direct attack on Ron Dennis. One wonders whether that is a view shared by Ecclestone and Mosley? I would wager it is!
And as for ‘my good friend Max’ and not supporting him being the biggest mistake of his life, I would also add to that the absence of Montreal, Magny Cours, and Hockenheim from this years schedule.
I chuckled to myself when Bernie mentioned the Ferrari way ‘of doing things’. Yes, like you my son, the crooked way!
Idella Rought said on 4th November 2010, 0:50
Wow what a good post about femdom ! I will appear back for much more regular! Thank you