Happy (belated) Birthday Bernie

[Retro Formula 1]

Forgot to post this a couple of weeks ago.

El Supremo is 80 and congratulations to him (wonder if he will retire in 7 years as he once promised)

I cannot think of anyone that has been in F1 as long as Bernie. His appearances date back to the first year of the F1 Constructors Championship in 58 and probably before then (I'm no Bernie expert).

Bernie's legacy is undeniable. F1 driver (briefly), Team Owner, Drivers and teams representative and head of the Commercial side of the sport. He took a rag tag, imploding series and turned it into the show case it is today. He has also done more for driver safety than almost anyone else and driven through improvements that have saved countless lives.

There are things that I'm sure people dislike about Bernie but IMHO F1 would probably have dissolved into civil war and torn itself apart, probably on numerous occasions, without his leadership.

[maximilian]

*crickets chirp*

[Retro Formula 1]

*crickets chirp*

It's easy to slate Bernie but I doubt many fans appreciate just what contribution he has made.

I would class myself as a Bernie critic for some of his actions which could be described as dubious to say the least but his singlemindedness and devotion to the sport are unquestionable whether you share his ethics and ethos or not.

Still, I'll express my gratitude to him for delivering the sport from the chaos it threatened to bury itself in.

[maximilian]

*crickets still chirp*

[52Paddy]

I'll hand it to him for being an expert [yet sly and ruthless] negotiator and for living as long as he has, avoiding any natural death and, probably, the gun of many hitmen :

I doubt the sport would be minutely as glamorous without Bernie, but I think he's done enough now. I don't like his tactics but they did work in bringing a lot of money and corporate involvement to the sport [perhaps too much, in my opinion]. He needs to pass the mantle on.

*wolf howls in the distance, muted*

[Retro Formula 1]

Who would take over the reins?

Bernie is a very rich man and money doesn't corrupt him like it does others. It's true he exacts a testing premium from the circuits etc but that's because he is maintaining a brand that is in demand.

The sport needs someone like Bernie that will not allow anyone else control otherwise it will bicker among itself and not get anywhere. At least Bernie will make a decision and tell everyone to lump it of F off.

So, if Bernie were to pop his clogs tomorrow, who would take the sport forward? The Teams? The Manufacturers?

[race aficionado]

Bring on F1 in HD

that would be a nice birthday gift . . . for us.

mokin:

[52Paddy]

Who would take over the reins?

Bernie is a very rich man and money doesn't corrupt him like it does others. It's true he exacts a testing premium from the circuits etc but that's because he is maintaining a brand that is in demand.

The sport needs someone like Bernie that will not allow anyone else control otherwise it will bicker among itself and not get anywhere. At least Bernie will make a decision and tell everyone to lump it of F off.

So, if Bernie were to pop his clogs tomorrow, who would take the sport forward? The Teams? The Manufacturers?

I agree with a lot of what you're saying. It's hard to know who is the right person to take over from Bernie but, I'm pretty certain that the sport will undergo a radical change when Bernie does leave. His approach is so individual that you can't really teach it to people. He was born with that tactical mind.

[Retro Formula 1]

I agree with a lot of what you're saying. It's hard to know who is the right person to take over from Bernie but, I'm pretty certain that the sport will undergo a radical change when Bernie does leave. His approach is so individual that you can't really teach it to people. He was born with that tactical mind.

I always thought Ron would replace him once Max buggered off.

Now, Ron is getting too old and is still involved with McLaren so I doubt it.

I was also thinking about the confrontational approach that Bernie sometimes employes and it started me thinking about the appraoch the old guard had; Enzo, Ron, Frank etc. and the more softly, softly attitude adopted by the likes of Horner.

Will we see a more subtle approach in the future. Possibly someone with respect and a track record like Hill might be a potential replacement. I know it must have been near impossible to have aligned the BRDC to a single purpose for the British GP but it's a fact he did.

I'm not saying it would be Hill but possibly someone like that?

[52Paddy]

I'm not saying it would be Hill but possibly someone like that?

I'd be all on for having someone with a track record. But there are still many other elements of entrepreneurship and business mindedness that need to be taken into play. I mean, I somehow doubt that Nigel Mansell would be capable of running the whole sha-bang, even if he is/was good on track.