Quote Originally Posted by 52Paddy
Sorry if I'm not friends with your chums but I perceive him in a different light. You look at the positive he's brought to the sport from a commercial point of view. I look at his attention-seeking comments in the media, his prioritising of his own assets and his manipulative approach to governing the sport.

Ask Ron Tauranac, see what he says.
Yes, the Bernie I am familiar with goes back 36 years, and his accomplishments from multiple world championship team principle who recognized Gordon Murray's ability and was the first to seek Senna's signature, to his generosity when helping friends and those who he is fond of are all real.

And other more private acts of generosity of time and so on.

But you resent him because he is a businessman that acts properly by acting in his own rational self-interest in the world that exists today - his focus is that F1 flourishes.

And the result of this?
A sport that is third only to the Olympics and World Cup Soccer.
His accomplishments have made many people wealthy and I have never heard any F1 team complain that they are too comfortable.

And a sport that we are able to watch because of Bernie's efforts.

You are an ungrateful fan of this sport, without interest of discovering who Bernie Ecclestone is and without any respect for his accomplishments.

And you believe what the media say about him.

Bernie may be reported as saying outrageous things - but he talks using examples and euphymisms. The way the press use it is the result of the current collapse of journalist ethics.

Ron Tauranac wanted the Brabham team but it was sold by Jack Brabham to Bernie. And Ecclestone turned it into an even greater team. Tauranac was left out. There may be resentment and that is unfortunate because Tauranac accomplished a lot as well.

I presume that you are not a fan of Sebastian "Nigel Mansell" Vettel? How can you be, after all, he is the driver that is closest to Bernie who is his confidente.

Must be something to do with Vettel being a smart cookie - the only driver that manages himself. Bernie likes smart accomplished people.