News came Monday evening that Bernie Ecclestone, the man who ruled over Formula 1 (F1) for decades and made the motorsport event almost similar to the likes of the Olympics and the football world cup, has had to make an exit.
Blame it on the takeover of F1 by the Liberty Media, but life in Formula 1, from now, will continue sans Ecclestone.
READ: F1 Calendar 2017.
Chase Carey is now the new CEO of F1, while Ecclestone will continue his association with the motorsport as the chairman emeritus (an honorary status).
Some interesting trivia about the 5'3" man who turns 87 this October
The fox:
- Ecclestone's shrewd nature and his wide interest in making money to build a global empire (and business) throws light on his similarities with Chankaya, one of the greatest economists ever.
- His cunningness, out-of-the-world tactics over the last 40 years have pumped in major revenues for the sport. By 2003, the revenue generated from F1 amounted to $729m. By 2015, the revenue read at $1.8bn.
- Ecclestone's message to the television companies: Buy F1 as a package or don't. Individual races don't pump in money! He sold the TV rights and the package deal to the highest bidder possible. Needless to say, money steadily started flowing in.
Keeping the world leaders in his pocket:
- Ecclestone forged a good relationship with world leaders, like Russia President Vladimir Putin. The F1 CEO once even mentioned that Putin should be given the charge of running Europe! Putin has also been seen attending the Russian GP with Ecclestone in 2016.
Love for Adolf Hitler, Margaret Thatcher:
- Ecclestone once mentioned that infamous rulers like Adolf Hitler and Margaret Thatcher deserved praise for their abilities to "get things done" the way they wanted. Not something Pink Floyd's Roger Waters would have liked about his praise for Thatcher. Though Ecclestone apologised for the Hitler comment some time later!
Ecclestone, the silent killer:
- Ecclestone, in the late 1950s, managed F1 driver Stewart Lewis-Evans. The British driver died in a crash at the Moroccan Grand Prix in 1958. Ecclestone then managed Austrian driver Jochen Rindt in the late 1960s. Believe it or not, Rindt also died during a practice session at the Italian Grand Prix 1970!
Great Train Robbery 1963:
- Ecclestone was rumoured to having been involved in the Great Train Robbery of 1963. A Royal Mail train was heading from Glasgow to London, when £2.6m was stolen. Decades later, the F1 CEO was asked about the incident. His reply: "Nah. There wasn't enough money on that train. I could have done something better than that."
The villainous personality:
- A verbal spat with Ecclestone always ended up with the 86-year-old getting up from his seat and patting you on the cheek!
- The F1 legend's comments on women: "Women should be dressed in white like all the other domestic appliances."
"If a woman excelled in Formula 1, she would have to be a woman who was blowing away the boys. What I would really like to see happen is to find the right girl, perhaps a black girl with super looks, preferably Jewish or Muslim, who speaks Spanish."
