More comments from Bernie. Interesting. Who knows what he actually means. Mercedes has equal power to Ferrari; I did not know this. Todt has UN Ambitions...? I hadn't heard this. "I don't get mad, I get even,' he said, now deadpan. 'I've had to take people out and show them a few graves. There's still room there.' Bernie Ecclestone: Formula One is worst it's ever been... I wouldn't pay to watch it | Daily Mail Online
When you're an 85 year old billionaire, bad-mouthing something to get it back at a lower cost is a waste of precious time.
I don't understand the meaning of the graves comment. However overall Bernie is right: He has realized that the current F1 is really not entertaining anymore and viewers are leaving en masse. The teams need to accept some of his proposals, but they refuse to. He is the guy who made F1 into what it is now, so he knows a GREAT deal about how it is best run. When he says it is running itself into the ground, team bosses should listen. And crap like the halo is not going to make it any better. Quite the opposite.
+1 He was much against the engines etc. Bernie knows how to make the sport appealing again, but as long as the teams don't listen, they'll be digging their own (and F1's) graves. Teams like Mercedes ultimately don't give 2 flying ****s if F1 keels over, this is a marketing exercise for them (and come to think of it, being able to claim that your build quality and organisation is so vastly superior that it killed the biggest automotive sport...is some claim!). Bernie talks a lot about dictating. Time for him to do it. Time to call Mercedes (and Renaults) bluff and see if they leave or not....and if they do, a short term fix should be doable. Ask Cosworth to dust of their old V10 blue prints, williams ERS unit. The smaller teams would welcome it; more viewers (certainly not less), more exposure, less expensive engines and running cost...more money all over!
I find it really interesting about his graves comment. Usually Bernie pokes fun at people and makes them a butt of humor - then goes in for the kill behind the scenes. It is unusual for him to throw out a threat like that... perhaps he is genuinely fearful, that he cant oust Marchionne and MB? I take it as he has "buried" people in the past and can do it again.
I don't think Bernie is fearful. I think he is pissed off. It does seem to be an outright threat to those teams. The threat is to Sauber and Force India. Not Ferrari and Merc.
Yep, as you say he is to blame for the mess that he started by dressing up his show and removing the sport aspect. Time for Bernie to admit that he needs to go. Pete
Bernie is a POS, he has been destroying f.1 for decades, he is yhe one who should find a grave, get in there and leave f.1 alone....
I have the solution for F1. Block developments just for the winning car from race to race and from championship to championship so the other cars can catch up until they win and their own development freezes in. Otherwise the winning car has also the most time to dedicate to develop next year's car and wins until there is a substantial change in the rules which usually takes ages to agree upon and makes nobody happy in the end including fans. Just look at the new Mercedes. The car looks technically two seasons ahead of the others cause of the time they had spare during the last two championships.