Ecclestone brands new teams “cripples”

F1 Fanatic round-up

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Lucas di Grassi, Virgin, Korea, 2010

In today’s round-up, Bernie Ecclestone still isn’t happy with the new teams and an F1 Fanatic reader tells of their experience at the 1990 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Links

Ecclestone backtracks over F1 flotation (Financial Times)

“They do nothing for us, they are an embarrassment. We need to get rid of a few of those cripples. Richard [Branson] should put some money in there shouldn’t he? He could do what [Red Bull founder] Dietrich Mateschitz has done and put some money in."

A predictable line from Ecclestone which has more to do with the money the new teams have received this year to compete than that benefit they bring to the sport.

Nick answers the questions of his fans (Nick Heidfeld)

“I did always run exactly the same downforce setting as Kamui. But I might be in the worst position in regard to the (right now much discussed) engine situation. The team lost three of just eight allowed engines on my car this season. To make matters worse this happened at an early stage where the engines were pretty fresh. Therefore the remaining engines have to cover a lot of extra miles. This unfortunately leads to an engine power loss owed to the fact of having "older" engines, which is the reason for [losing] out on acceleration and top speeds.”

Senna in ‘well-advanced’ talks to replace Trulli at Lotus (Crash)

Not a surprising rumour given his home race is coming up.

Baguette turns back on F1 (ESPN)

“I have received offers to participate in the upcoming test in Abu Dhabi, but I don’t care to spend our budget on a programme that I suspect will not lead to anything. Instead, I am focused on Indycar, where I have the feeling I can build a career. I don’t want to spend any more of my time looking for an opening in F1, where a driver who has proved himself in the lower categories is not given a chance.”

Chandhok: My focus is very firmly on 2011 (F1 Pulse)

“The Delhi monsoons slowed things down a little bit. But now that it’s finished, the rate of construction has ramped up massively. They have nearly doubled the workforce since the rains have stopped. They are now pushing ahead a lot quicker than they were before the rains. The first thing to do is to remove all fears that it would be the next Commonwealth Games. I don’t think that’s going to be an issue.”

A karting masterclass with Lewis Hamilton (F1 Badger)

“Lewis, whether he likes events like this or not, was in a top mood the whole time. He didn’t get frustrated with the media attention, was great with the fans, and showed no signs of being a man who’s less than a week away from a decisive, championship-critical grand prix. Maybe he’s just used to it, but you’ve still got to hand it to the guy.”

Gerard Hetman (The Times Leader)

Gerard has written some excellent guest articles for F1 Fanatic in the past – make sure you check out his new blog here.

Comment of the day

Lopes saw the first race at the new Interlagos in 1990:

I attended that very first race in the revamped Interlagos circuit in 1990 with my father (I was eight years old). I sat in the "A" sector, which was just before the last kink leading to the pit straight.

I couldn’t see Senna entangle with Nakajima, because the Bico de Pato turn was hidden from my point of view, but I still remember the huge disappointment of everybody in the stands when Senna had to come in for a new nose.

One thing that I realised many years later was how good it was to watch the race live in Interlagos. Because it’s in a bowl you can see a lot of the track.

From my position close to the pit entrance you could see the whole pit straight then almost the whole Reta Oposta with turns four, five, six, beginning of seven, nine and eleven. You could definitely have a good understanding of what was going on, even without any screens at the circuit (at that time).
Lopes

Also see this comment from Guilherme Teixeira on when the perimeter circuit was used at Interlagos.

From the forum

The “F1 2010” patch has begun to appear for PS3 users – according to Codemasters (and verified by people on Twitter) it was released by Sony on Sunday. At the time of writing Xbox 360 and PC versions are yet to appear.

Site updates

In case you hadn’t noticed the site redesign has gone live.

Happy birthday!

No F1 Fanatic birthdays today. If you want a birthday shout-out tell us when yours is by emailling me, using Twitter or adding to the list here.

On this day in F1

Happy birthday to Alan Jones, who turns 64 today. He won the world championship 30 years ago and was a steward at the Korean Grand Prix.

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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92 comments on “Ecclestone brands new teams “cripples””

  1. Booooooo, Bernie, you are becoming (or maybe became quite a while ago) a total embarrassment….

    I personally am enjoying the lower teams and look forward to at least Lotus working the way up…..

    1. are you calling Bernie an aged cantankerous old man? He does kind of fit the Monty Burns template sometimes doesn’t he?

      He’s giving the teams a verbal kick up the backside. He’s always done this in private, and I guess he does it in public too, although I can’t remember him doing this 20 years ago. I may be wrong, I was still in primary school then.

      I’ve enjoyed watching the lower end teams. You gotta give them 2 years to get their act together and then fathom their trajectory accordingly. I do think however, sometimes you need a kick in the pants, as the yanks say!

      The circus continues…

      1. In the previous article regarding Bernie, there were nothing but praises regarding his sharp business acumen, and making the sport what its become today. Then…. Bernie goes ahead and does something as ridiculous as this, which makes bad business sense, and reduces the credibility of his decision to enter these new teams.

        I always thought Bernie’s brains were rusted and that he was going senile, today he just proved that he needs to be replaced.

        1. Yeah I have felt for a couple of years that Bernie seems to be loosing his grasp a little, he seems to be unable to keep his mouth shut of recent and says things in public that probably shouldn’t be said.

          When it comes to the new teams I think any blame should be pointed at the FIA who have made it next to impossible for them to compete this season. These teams needed in season testing to allow them to improve their cars and they could also have done with a bit of financial help from the FIA to allow them to develop their cars and teams faster and better.

          As it stands Lotus has done an excellent job and I hope to see them progress up the grid next season hopefully becoming mainstays of 2nd quali and maybe even reaching 3rd quali. I suspect that Virgin will continue to struggle next season as they carry on trying to perfect their computer design software, but this is the future I think. HRT seem to me to be stuck in the Minardi role, struggling just to exist without being able to gain enough traction to make the improvements needed to increase their budgets.

          It seems really short sighted of Bernie to be so vocal in attacking these teams, the sport needs new teams… at the end of last season we could have been down 7 teams… had Renault folded and Sauber not returned…

    2. Lotus certainly, and I think Virgin too, are bringing value to the sport, even if it’s just on the level of being an interesting experiment as to how you can go about being an F1 start-up (and how some measure of success will or won’t follow).

      Sadly you get the impression that Hispania aren’t trying, at least not on the sporting front. It’s all they can do to survive, but one wonders what purpose Hispania subsisting in F1 actually serves.

      1. The more older Bernie is getting the more he wants money!

        1. I think he subscribes to the theory that ‘he who dies with the most money wins.’ Currently he’s playing the back 9 and looking good, but there are others in the club house with better scores.

      2. I think HRT are trying. They’re maintaining their contract to turn up to races, and getting pay drivers in to show off their skills. But ultimately, they’re surviving for next year. There’s near enough no point progressing the car this year, it’s a flawed base, and they’re not going to out develop a car that has been built in house by the other 2 bottom dwelling teams.

        If I was them, and I’m not, but if I was. I would pool as much money as possible to next year, and make a proper go of it.

    3. I can’t read the Bernie article, it’s saying I have to register… Which I don’t plan on doing, Can anyone give me the gist of the article?

        1. Thanks!
          (Ze comment! she is to short!)

      1. Bernie is, essentially, annoyed that virgin is using F1 as an advertising vehicle without really shelling out much of it’s own money.

        He added the Caveat that Lotus is a team worth keeping, because they seem to be doing things the traditional way. Spend loadsa money what you’ve raised, thus raising the sports profile, to a lesser extent than your own.

        If Virgin is sucsessfull it will damage Bernie’s prefered F1 buisness model, an possibly result in an influx of moderatley sucssesful teams running simular cheap buisness plans. On the other hand, he seems to have missed the fact that Renault are attempting the same thing under Lopez.

        1. I think you may be right about Bernie being annoyed about Virgin, but it’s always very difficult to tell with him as he often says things for effect and to achieve an aim, rather than because he actually believes what he is saying.

          But in theory with the model that Virgin are using they could actually be making a profit out of F1 sponsorship. OK I’m sure at the moment they are not because so many of their sub-sponsors are Virgin owned or part owned companies. But I can quite see Bernie being unhappy about that. Team owners who are fanatic about F1 he seems happy about letting them make money out of F1 particularly if they have put in a lot in the past, but Branson certainly doesn’t fall into that category.

    4. I Like the new layout, good job :)

  2. http://twitpic.com/331yi5
    LOL!

    also using the champ calculator, If the top 5 finish in the first 5 positions in brazil and abu dhabi:
    BRAZIL: 1stVET 2ndWEB 3rdHAM 4thBUT 5thALO
    ABU: 1stHAM 2ndVET 3rdBUT 4thWEB 5thALO

    then we have:
    ALO 251
    WEB 250
    HAM 250
    VET 249
    (BUT 216…)

    1. hmm…it seems like Alonso is on very high ground. I don’t think he will win remaining races but also don’t think he will finish less than 5th(if nothing special happen) and Webber could not win both of them too.

      1. Webb could easily win both, especially if Redbull are being sensible about their title chances.

    2. Younger Hamilton
      2nd November 2010, 18:20

      Actually Lewis would be 2nd, because both Mark and Lewis would be equal on the amount of 1st,2nd,3rd and 4th places and then it will go down to 5th places in which Lewis will have 2 and Mark would have 1

  3. Bernie’s a moron, there is 3 new teams, and each one of them built a car as well as they could for their first F1 car. If they could be faster and could compete with the midfield teams,they would, but as for now they are doing the best they can.

    1. HRT does nobody any favours. Bernie is also protecting his intrests against Virgin style F1 teams who he see’s as leeches.

      1. I’d rather have HRT than not, Bernie is the leech, that’s why we have the best tracks on the verge of being removed from the calendar.

        Do you think, that he sometimes forgets, that had his polices been in place in earlier years Williams wouldn’t exist? in fact I doubt McLaren would either.

        His policies suit big companies, but I’m willing to bet $50, that if it is at all possible (financially). HRT will stay in the sport longer than Toyota did. And that I think is where Bernie’s problems lie.

  4. Is doing the best you can good enough for F1? Then maybe I’ll hop on my bike and enter the next Grand Prix season. Because I’ll pedal as hard as I can.

    I think building a fuel tank that’s too small qualifies as an embarrassment. Not to mention that Hispania is about as healthy as a chemotherapy patient.

    1. I’d rather have 12 unhealthy make shift dodgy are they going to make it to the race? teams, than have a sport where new entrants aren’t able to enter, and aren’t encouraged to do so..

    2. F1 is a very complex motor sport as can be seen by issues that even Maclaren and Ferrari have had in the past. The new teams were surely never expected to get it right first time as they need to gather data and learn. Lotus and Virgin seem to be improving all the time while hispania will need to do something big to compete next year. However surely it has been good for F1 to have new teams to talk about? Also they are not doing too bad really considering. We must really give them another couple of years to get things in order as it can’t be easy to come into a sport and compete with teams that have been around for many years.

  5. In the nick heidfeld article one of the questioners mentions seeing nick’s top speed on a data channel over the race wknd. I haven’t noticed that in the f1.com live timings. Am I missing it or does anyone know if ithere’s another data source? Thanks

    1. The speed traps appear on the F1 timing page under the Weather/speed info tab

      1. Ah – cheers! :)

  6. I ask you all (and specially Bernie).

    What would have happened in 2005 had Red Bull started from 0? I don’t think they would’ve scored a couple of 4th places. Not even with the Bridgestone teams struggling badly.

    We know Branson isn’t investing as much as Dietrich. But what does Bernie wants?. It’s a bloody brand new team, with less money (apparently) than Lotus, with a car designed enterely using CFD, the first car to be build that way… and YES! sometimes they outqualy or outrace Lotus!.

    1. Branson isn’t investing as much as Fernandes, or really anything at all, he’s using F1’s prestige and the oppourtunity for buisness conections to the virgin empire to fund an F1 team with very little of his own money.

      This obviously annoys Bernie because it’s a dangerous precedent.

      He’s using HRT’s ridiculous F1 adventure to tar Virgins fairly competant first season. Frankly we could do without HRT, but we could probably do without Bernie these days.

      1. By now we have learnt, that he was just doing his usual thing of publicly putting HRT down to get them to finish the deals they were making at that point (williams rear end, toyota tech support, and ex-telefonica boss backer).

  7. Woah, this is a round up article. The RSS feed is missing this vital piece of info.

  8. i like the new site as a regular visitor of this site. there’s more access to other good stuff. good job! to keith and co. for all the efforts made!!! :)

  9. http://globoesporte.globo.com/motor/formula-1/noticia/2010/11/capacetepops-teste-os-seus-conhecimentos-sobre-formula-1.html

    Try this helmets quiz, it’s really great! I’ve got most of them, but I’m missing 6. I really want to ask here whose they are, but that’d spoil it for everyone else, so I won’t

    1. I like it, I’ve just started, Buttons was an easy one eh?

      1. This is a great game, thanks!

        Having written that, I’ve got some more, 7 to go. (Including one modern one, Argh!)

        1. Ok, I’m out, 6 as well. -.-
          I bet they are the same six…

      2. I think Alesi was not that hard as well, with the name on his helmet and all.
        Still i did not yet get further than 10 right.

        1. iceman and sato have their name on the helmet too

    2. Finally something decent from Globo Esporte!

      I’m missing 6 too, all history ones… =\

      1. ops, sorry, typo…

        historic*

      2. I am afraid those are the same 6 I am missing, altough one helmet i am missing seems not too historic.

      3. Number 6 or 6 more? Number six is Zanardi’s helmet : D but good luck if its 6 more lol.

    3. Well, one of them has the guy’s name right on there, so that one was easy!

      Sadly, I have slightly more than 10 I can’t figure out.

    4. I’ve got all but one. :D It resembles Stefan Bellof’s helmet but the only clue is the signature on the visor. :(

      1. Cunning Stunt 8
        2nd November 2010, 5:07

        Do you want me to ruin it for you rfs? A hint?

        I’ve still got 7 left :(

      2. ok a hint for you rfs: this driver was a good friend of a certain Brazilian driver. Sorry if I’ve spoiled it 4 ya but surely you can’t leave it unfinished with just 1 left now can you? :)

      3. Name not required
        2nd November 2010, 14:41

        Got them all :) Three needed extra search.
        Rfs – think Benelux ;)

      4. Ok, I’m obviously not as good as some of you guys…. beginning to give up – can anyone shed any light into nos:

        1,4,6,14,22,25,27

        this is frustrating!!!!!!!! (but great fun! – thanks for sharing!)

        1. 1 and 4 are very difficult. Look for a clue at the upper side of number 1. Number 4, well lets just say not all that looks German actually is. Numbers 6, 22, 25:c’mon it’s all written on the helmets, espesially 6, look closely! number 14 has no clues but it’s a lot easier than it seems. number 27 is quite easy too, the clues are all on the helmet look closely, though there’s no sign odf driver’s name there unlike those mentioned above.
          Hope that helped and I didn’t spoil anything much!

          1. sorry number 14 does have a clue on the lower side of the helmet.

          2. Cheers for that! Looking at it again, it appears that I can’t count! It’s 21 and 24, not 22 &25!!!!!!! (which I got easily!!), however now have them all! 6 I just feel stupid about; and well, still have no idea about 1, 4, 14 & 28! Thanks for your help!

    5. Thanks Ned great game! I’ve just finished, and proud to say that I needed the help of Forix database for only two of those helmets :)
      Don’t wanna spoil it for others but I’ll just say that it’s the leftmost and rightmost helmets in the upper lane that I didn’t know by myself.

    6. I only need the very first one, so annoying! That quiz is very bad for my work productivity…

      1. McLarenFanJamm
        2nd November 2010, 12:48

        I’m 5 out. I need 1, 3, 4, 8 and 13 :(

        1. McLarenFanJamm
          2nd November 2010, 12:55

          scratch that! I’ve got number 1 :D

          1. … I cant get number 1 >: ( and the toyota helmet second last row I believe. Its on the tip of my tongue… I think he was the pilot that did the Toyota test at Laguna seca >_<

  10. I think perhaps the categories could do with having links in them too. ie ‘F1 Round up’ and ‘Brazil Grand Prix’, etc.. so you hit the link and get the articles in the category chosen.

  11. Senna in ‘well-advanced’ talks to replace Trulli at Lotus (Crash)

    Baguette turns back on F1 (ESPN)

    Chandhok: My focus is very firmly on 2011 (F1 Pulse)

    WSR champion Mikhail Aleshin is also looking to get into Formula 1 next season with Force India, but he reportedly needs 10-15 EUR from one of his sponsors (probably Lukoil) to make it happen. His fate is entirely in their hands.

    If he doesn’t make it, I expect he’ll wind up in Carlin’s GP2 team and get a second bite of the apple in 2012.

    1. I’ll chip in a dollar! If you can get another 13-20 people to do so as well we can make it happen. 8)

  12. When Spyker took over from Midland they didn’t became a midteam over a night. They really pushed hard to get from the rear untill they forced to sell to Force India and the third year became something of a improvement and a real jump last year. And they had a exsisting fatory and team already.

    So a new team have to build a factory and developing team in 1 year accourding to Bernie. New Teams need ATLEAST 3 years to get up to speed.

  13. Bernie isn’t really annoyed that the new teams haven’t been fighting with the established ones. The real reason he’s annoyed is that he and Max brought the new teams in as a counterweight to FOTA and the manufacturers but they’ve shown themselves far more likely to side with them than play Bernie and the FIA’s power games. Mosley was famous for getting the small countries’ motoring associations support through demagoguery and no doubt he and Bernie thought they could create little allies in FOTA much the same way by playing them off of each other. That hasn’t happened because the new teams know which side their bread is buttered. In that respect they’ve done a brilliant job in not being reduced to pawns in anyone’s game, as well a having done a terrific job with low resources and a stupidly short amount of time to get where they are now.

    Senna at Lotus? Pure commercialism if it happens. Senna has not impressed me this year. Fine, if Petrov isn’t bumped down because the engine deal and Trulli wants to leave, I guess Senna is as sensible a choice as Chandhok. But I wouldn’t make it.

    I loved that Hamilton article. It may have been for the sponsors, but you could tell he genuinely enjoyed his day out.

    1. I think if it goes off at Williams and Maldonado gets the seat, Hulkenburg should look to Lotus, he’s really started to imporve himself, he’s still one of F1’s most exciting young drivers from past recored alone.

      An Lotus could do a lot worse if they can’t get Glock to sign.

  14. Bernie’s comments are unwarranted, these new teams all built new cars, I don’t recall Redbull being a team to reckon with In their first season no matter how much money was poured into the “existing” team.

  15. regardless of Bernies outburst which is just designed to set the agenda, they are a joke. Lotus have done ok, but only compared to HRT & Virgin. Virgin in particular are taking the mick, typical Branson, hes put in no money, he gets naming rights and hes nowhere to be seen if theres no glory. Id kick them out. cripples? barely even vegetables!

  16. Bernie sounds a bit harsh there but Kolles himself admits none of the new teams have brought anything to the sport. Bernie’s tactic seems similar to Ferrari’s at the beginning of the season; talk them down, put them under scruntiny and see if they’ll break and if they do then who cares and if they don’t then better for the sport (in theory).

    I dobut Senna will replace Jarno. Jarno has experience, isn’t being blown away by Heikki and is a master at delivering and getting the car just right on a Saturday which can be crucial to Lotus when they’ve got a lot of changes going on.

  17. Clockwork Kitty
    2nd November 2010, 13:23

    Wow, he actually called them “cripples”?. He should be ashamed of that.

  18. So Bernie says that cripples are an embarassment and should be got rid of.
    I can only walk with the aid of two crutches. I’m crippled.
    How does that make me feel, Bernie?

    1. Sigh. I was so annoyed I couldn’t even type my name. Timothy, not Tinothy.

      1. Well I’m so drunk that I didn’t notice Tinothy…

        Cheers ;)

  19. Ecclestone is the biggest F1 embarrassment, has been for years.

  20. Lotus are ok, HRT and Ferrari are an embarrassment to human species. Virgin are Meh.

    1. Umm, I can’t help thinking that the most successful F1 team of all time aren’t embarrassments. Your hateful posts are though.

      1. Well ferrari are red faced…geddit? :P Sorry, couldn’t resist!

        1. Haha, that’s a fairly good one Steph :P

      2. If success is achieved through blatantly breaking rules then I think I am correct. They have been an embarrassment to nature since Schumi joined. This is not hate. Code of Conduct is something which seems to be really missing in Ferrari. Win at all cost is what led to the dark ages of F1 during the first half of this decade and almost killed F1. Anyway, as Fernando inches closer to his WDC and Red Bull keep shooting themselves in the foot, I think this will be the last F1 season I will watch. Too bad that F1 comes to my country next year. I was looking forward to it before german gp 2010. If I was sitting in the grandstand when all this happened I would sue and get my money back. But that’s just me.

        1. If success is achieved through blatantly breaking rules then I think I am correct. They have been an embarrassment to nature since Schumi joined. This is not hate.

          Oh, yeah, claim that two team order incidents are the only factor in achieving 16 constructors championships and 215 victories.

          Kicking the butts of your opposition for five years in a row is embarrassing for the other competing teams. Ferrari may sometimes “win at all costs”, however you can’t fool yourself that other teams (including whichver one you supported) haven’t at times done the same. Hence, you were wrong to claim Ferrari are an embarrassment in this sport, particularly in a thread regarding Bernie talking about the three new teams.

          Anyway, as Fernando inches closer to his WDC and Red Bull keep shooting themselves in the foot, I think this will be the last F1 season I will watch.

          As i’ve said, you’re free to go ahead and stop watching completely. Formula One will live long after you stop tuning in. Everyone else will continue to enjoy a spectacular season of action. And hopefully some seasons as good as this one.

          So as the potential 3x WDC Fernando Alonso might put it, “Adios, amigo!”

          1. You are right this is not the thread to discuss Ferrari. And I have no interest in a flamewar with a another Ferrari Fanboy.

          2. Neither do I have an interest in a flame war, with another hater.

  21. Oh and Bernie should really stop talking nonsense. I like Virgin because they are trying something different. HRT are a serious Face-palm, lotus will beat torro rosso next year IMHO. All Bernie is interested is his bank balance. Good Race is not a priority for him.

    (Sorry for the double post).

  22. I wish posters would stick to the subject more.

    Bernie is no fool,Branson isn’t either,but the former is 100% for the sport and the latter for his own wallet.Bernie wants F1 to be the supreme sport it is with top teams and top drivers.Slick and professional.

    At his age of 80yrs and with his success,you are entitled to say exactly what you want.Some of the teams are not good enough.This is why Bernie is pushing for Porsche.

    1. At his age of 80yrs and with his success,you are entitled to say exactly what you want.

      No you’re not. I don’t mind him saying things I disagree with, but hearing him lavishing praise on Adolf Hitler and slagging off teams as “cripples” is frankly disgusting.

      1. At his age of 80yrs and with his success,you are entitled to say exactly what you want.

        It’s like when mothers are heard saying in the supermarket.. ‘I brought you in to this world, I can take you out!’

      2. That’s a bit racist for an editor.
        Bernie lavishing praise on Hitler??when and where did he say that??

        Keith,we lost 2 dearly loved members of our family to the Nazi regime.You bring up anti German propaganda in year 2010 – in a sport you wholeheartedly support?? I rest my case,unbelievable..

        1. WOW, just wow.

          “I unreservedly apologise for the remarks I made regarding Hitler in a recent interview,” Ecclestone said in a statement.

          “I am extremely distressed and embarrassed that these remarks have been used as suggesting that I support Hitler or Saddam Hussein. I would never support such people.”

          Ecclestone said he deeply regretted his remarks, which appeared in The Times on Saturday.

          “I should never have been so foolish as to have been drawn into discussing these people but the fault was entirely mine, which I deeply regret,” he said.

          “I hope and trust that my apology will be accepted in good faith.”

          In the interview, Ecclestone also said Britain had done “a terrible thing” by supporting the removal of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, adding: “He was the only one who could control that country.”

          The Briton told German newspaper Bild on Monday that the comments had all been “a huge misunderstanding” and said “some of my closest friends are Jewish”.

          The Central Council of Jews in Germany called for teams to boycott the German Grand Prix on Sunday in protest at his comments.

          Ecclestone last month helped to defuse a major crisis within Formula One after leading teams threatened to create a breakaway championship next season.

          The threat was warded off when the other key player in Formula One – his close friend FIA president Max Mosley – agreed not to seek re-election to his post.

          Mosley is the son of British World War II Fascist leader Oswald Mosley.

          By Telegraph staff and agencies
          Published: 5:46PM BST 07 Jul 2009

          1. Ouch. Shall we go back to talking about HRT again?

        2. That’s a bit racist for an editor.

          How on earth is what I said racist?

        3. I was just looking for the interview John posted there as an answer.

          Sorry about your family members, but this shows how far off are some of Ecclestone remarks at times, and I think you will surely agree with Keith on this after reading the interview.

  23. I could give details but seeing your appetite for truth I will not say anything.
    Let us all put our heads in the sand and pretend nothing ever happened. Nothing happened in between 1939 and 1945. “Shift + Delete”.

    IGNORANCE IS BLISS

    1. Who are you talking to?

      1. Himself. Unfortunate really.

  24. It looks a bit more of a challenge from Bernie directed at Branson. He can get the money, but I think F1 is more of a toy with him. I don’t think he takes it “Ron Dennis” seriously.

    HRT… well rookie drivers, no money, no sponsorship… he’s really got a point there.

    Lotus is really trying… I think they will survive. At least they have some experienced No.2 drivers and have done a deal with Renault for engines and RB for transmissions.

    Compared to top and midfield runners… yes on the racetrack they are cripples.

    I wasn’t offended by those remarks… The people playing at F1 aren’t poor, I don’t feel sorry for any of them.

    If it was offensive to cripples, then yes there is a point. Being compared to an HRT would be offensive to anyone.

  25. Jraybay-HamiltonMclarenfan
    4th November 2010, 15:16

    I thought Bernies comments were a bit harsh… formula 1 is a difficult sport and its only been one season for these new teams, It takes time to become successful it doesnt come overnight… I can see where Lotus and Virgin are going but not so much HRT however all of the new teams have added a little buzz and I think they only benefit the sport they dont embarrass the sport.

    I think the true fans know this is a difficult sport… well its the pinnacle of motorsports it shouldnt come easy : D .

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