The Formula One is evidently a sport that’s drive by its financial prowess, which explains Bernie Ecclestone’s constant desire to introduce new changes into the sport.
There’s been plenty of attention on F1’s newest qualifying system, particularly from drivers. They’ve been very criticial of the format – something that was thoroughly expressed in an official letter that was sent on behalf of the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA).
Bernie, as predicted, wasn’t too happy with the letter. In fact, he completely slammed GPDA for sending the letter, claiming that drivers shouldn’t even be allowed to speak on any matter and that they should only focus on driving the vehicles.
“What sort of interest do they have, the drivers, other than taking money out of the sport?” Ecclestone said as quoted from ESPN.
“I’ve never seen one of them put one dollar in, you go to dinner with them and they don’t even pay the bill. They shouldn’t even be allowed to talk. They should get in the car and drive it.”
“I know full well before I go to the race who’s going to be first, who’s going to be second and there’s no racing that’s going to happen anyway. So why would I want to sit in the bloody grandstand for with my wife and two kids or somebody else’s wife, for what? To see what?”
WHAT DO WE THINK:
Bernie definitely is one of the most entertaining aspects of the sports, with his strange ideas, eccentric personality and endless critiques. To hear such comments coming out of Bernie is nothing unorthodox. Regardless of what he says, there is no doubt that the drivers are the centre of the sports and without them, what capital does the sport have? Money can be spent on the venue, cars and all sorts of aspects but one thing Bernie is forgetting (or maybe intentionally forgetting) is that people pay to see the drivers. Drivers are the star of the track and they know the track way more than any other person in the pit crew and they certainly know what’s can and cannot be done on the circuits. Like the dictator he self proclaims he is, Bernie is restricting the drivers’ rights to speak but also attempts to make the sport better. That’s akin to killing all the fishermen in a land that only lives on selling and eating fish.
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