Ecclestone forced to step down as CEO

Bernie did a great job dictating the sport for the past 40 years but I think its time for him to step down.

 

I believe F1 had $4bil in debt.

 

Bernie out, Brawn in.

It's about time something sensible happened to this sport.

 

21st Century Fox and ESPN. Definitely sounds like entertainment over technology.

 

All good moves for the sport.

CW

 

First Ron Dennis and now this.

Nothing is sacred. Who will be next: the Pope?

 

Glad they helped Bernie move on. He doesn't know when to leave. Liberty did the right thing.

 

Which time? Bernie sold F1 three times, yet always seemed to end up back in control and in a strong ownership position to sell it yet again, making more billions off it. I feel no pity for Bernie, he's done more than well with his F1 ownership machinations over the past 3 decades especially.

Besides, this time it was CVC that sold F1, not Bernie. He was lucky enough that CVC kept him in charge, they just viewed it as a cash machine, with no thought or interest towards growing the sport into new areas. Hike the race fees was about their only idea and plan.

I also agree that this is more than time for Bernie to step out, and let some modern ideas come in. It's always a risk, but I'm sick of new races in areas with zero F1 interest just because a government funds a promoter to pay the huge fees, meanwhile Germany, Britain, Canada, etc all struggle to meet Bernie's demands.

Brawn will also bring some welcome sense to the technical evolution of the sport. Maybe he can also 'retire' Charlie Whiting, who has stayed on about 3 years too long. Bernie's Gang should go with Bernie.

 

^ Yep.

 

You know Whiting and Brawn are best friends, don't you? They've already "worked together" and helped each other for years...

 

Well, if liberty try to change the pay structure for the teams, I give F1 at the most till the end of the current concorde, and I suspect the phone lines are already buzzing between the top teams and Bernie about GP1

 

Totally agree.

I just hope Bernie's ego does not get in the way and he, and his team, simply fncks off as he should have at least 10 years ago.

Honestly this is what F1 needed to move forward!
Pete

 

I suspect Liberty Media has a complete business plan that goes well beyond cosmetic changes to the present set up. They won't be happy just to step in Bernie's shoes to conduct business as usual. I expect some egos will be severely bruised.

Note that they are in show business, so their goal will be not only to revamp the old Ecclestone script, but to write a new one from a clean sheet of paper.

"New broom sweeps clean", they say, so a expect the new team to put in place something quite different from what we know at the end of the present agreement/formula - 2020?

Yes, the pay structure should change, and maybe some of the taboos Bernie has been bashing us with will go out of the window. People can start looking at the expiry date on their contract, I think: teams, organisers, tracks, constructors, etc...

F1 may never been the same after the incoming changes.

 

I sincerely hope that Brawn's professionalism supercedes his friendship with Whiting. Clown Charlie has brought F1 into disrepute on more than one occasion with his inconsistent rules across a single race.

F1 would benfit from a new race director

 

Charlie Whiting and Herbie Blash are both ex-Brabham employees, when Bernie owned the team.

When he took over the GP organisation, he brought them in to become F1 race director and assistant race director. They were still his employees and only answered to him.

Whiting in fact took a lot of flack for decisions he made on Bernie's order.

 

Bernie did a great job over the decades,but now it is finally time to bow out.

If you are stateside then perhaps look forward to a new breed of F1 races Las Vegas,Miami,La.. anyone ?

 

At least none of the two is directly involved in or owns a team now...

 

If NA comes back to COTA, I'm taking my 22yo daughter and getting paddock club tickets.....Her first F1...

 

New management needed because F1 hasn't grown enough - Carey:

New management needed because F1 hasn't grown enough - Carey

 

Carey should know that the current rules where enforced by the FIA, Bernie was much against them as he feared the noise would be **** and the possibility of 1 team getting it right dominating - He was completely right.

Bernie got a lot of bad stick for the fees ''he'' charged, forced by CVC capital who wanted a good ROI and thought short term rather than long term.

Rather than force him out, something else should be done...Bernie has a high reputation in and outside of F1, from people who truly understand the sport.

One thing Bernie has obviously failed on was successfully incorporating the internet with his show, look at MotoGP for instance. Pay to enter the MGP site and can watch the race or season. It's brilliant.

A proper working app, which you can adjust (i.e. live timing, one or multiple cameras, select commentary team or no commentary at all. Hell, 360 degree cameras too, movable by user) would be epic. If you buy a season pass you get year round access, watch any race you want from the archives. It's not hard.

 

concur plus from a race perspective MotoGP is above F1, F1 has is more technical and engineering perspective behind it.

 

oh I forgot.....from a PROFIT-wise perspective.........

 

Get rid of whiting now!!

 

With all due respect. CVC was only a part of F1 because of Bernie. Bernie understood who he was doing business with and what the consequences would be. He can claim to be innocent, but he knew what CVC would do and he sold to them anyway...and at a discount also after illegally devaluing the company for which he should be in jail ; )

 

I agree with that, he should never have sold the CVC in the first place, and I don't think he was particularly happy with it either. Was he naive, or had his eyes on the big prize, or did he do it as a potential safety net in case funding got to difficult for the teams if they couldn't find funding when the EU would eventually outlaw tobacco sponsoring, who knows...

IMO had he never sold F1 to CVC, he'd have been far more understanding regarding fees and the tracks we went to. He's done things wrong, but he's also done very many things right.


I'm just glad that Ross Brawn is in the picture.