http://www.planetf1.com/story/0,18954,3213_4746723,00.html Stewart blasts Ecclestone and Mosley Monday 5th January 2009 Sir Jackie Stewart has launched a scathing attack on Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley, calling for the pair to leave Formula One. The Scot did not hold back in his criticism of the duo who have come under increasing pressure of late. Stewart acknowledged the role Ecclestone played in building the sport, "but having done it, he now rules and nobody is up for taking on a battle with him," the 69-year-old told The Times. "Bernie has such power and influence that he could suffocate almost any performer who would dare to suggest that there must be change. "I don't think Bernie can bring people in to help him in a transition phase," Stewart added. "He has been so used to total control that if you look at his structure you have to ask yourself 'is there a successor?' and you would say 'no'. That is wrong." Stewart also had plenty to say about FIA chief Max Mosley. "I think Max should remove himself from the FIA completely and from motorsport and the motor industry," he said. "The FIA should replace him with somebody not from within its organisation or even within motorsport. They should go out and headhunt a CEO who is going to rebuild the structure in line with modern practice to satisfy the investors in the sport and to give the FIA total transparency." The three-time world title winner feels that the FIA had the perfect opportunity to oust Mosley when he was involved in a scandal in which a British newspaper reported he took part in a Nazi-themed sado-masochistic orgy with prostitutes (Mosley took them to court and later won damages from the newspaper). "The scandal created the opportunity for a new structure to be born," said the Scot. "That opportunity has been overtaken by one man's insistence on remaining, which would have been impossible had it been an Olympic committee, the Football Association or a publicly held company." Stewart insisted that the two supremos were largely responsible for the poor financial situation the sport finds itself in. "Nothing is coming back into the sport," said Stewart. "The financial distribution of Formula One appears to have been sorted out by two people who have directed it in whichever way they have seen fit. Although this has been a significant benefit in some ways, it has also hurt the sport because the balance of contribution within Formula One is absolutely untenable. "The teams have got all the capital investment, yet they get no more than 50 per cent of the revenues. The next largest capital investment is by the racetracks who currently receive little or nothing from the revenues apart from what they get for bums on seats. Hardly any of them receive anything from TV revenues or the circuit advertising or the title sponsorship or the commercial hospitality. How can they reinvest when they have little or no income outside of spectator attendance fees?" he added
Stewart is absolutely right... Its like the sub price mortgage mess... Ecclestone sold out to banks that want a profit, so how can you reinvest in the sport, you have to keep going to 3rd world countries that keep paying more and more just to meet the debt.... this is why F-1 will come crashing down. If the teams are smart they will hasten the crash, and they buy it out of the rubble... Stewart is clearly the only person close to F-1 that can comment on this with authority. I totally beleive him!
Hopefully other people also start insulting these idiots and we can get a regime change. They are driving F1 hard into the ground and are going to end up billionaires from it.
Now if only Montezemolo or Briatore would add their voices to Stewart's, then people would start to stand up and take notice. We won't hear Ron Dennis make a peep for fear of getting spanked ... with another monetary penalty. As repurcussions of the credit crunch continue to sweep around the world, this upcoming year will be interesting from the sponsorship and race attendance coffers. Bernie and Max will have to deliver or there will be throngs calling for their heads on a stake. Continuing to act like front-end loaded hedge fund managers who skim off the cream just won't cut it in a declining revenue environment. Go get the Nazi and the Dictator Sir Jackie! Cheers-Colin Firth-Ontario Canada
Aside from calling F1 a 'sport' the rest is spot on. These two bozos at the top have managed to piss off the entire infrastructure of F1 except the familial owners of Ferrari. What a shame. Compared to what stature it had back in the 60s and 70s today it's a joke.
First of all I don't like either of these guys anymore than the rest of you. However, I think part of F1's success to date has to be contributed to their efforts. F1 - during the Schumacher years - continued to expand/grow in size/popularity. Unfortunately I think we're now on the down side of the bell curve and changes need to be made in order to stabilize a failing infrastructure. Either these two need to go or they need to get their heads out of the sand and start making changes that are in the best interest of the sport and not their bank accounts.
Well said. They were a necessary evil to get F1 to grow. Heck, the France family holds a similar grip over NASCAR, and look at what's happened. Unfortunately, not unlike political dictatorships, there is almost always an end. I do agree it's time to move on, but I don't want to see the teams in charge either.
