'Ferrari brand so strong they could walk away from F1 and still be huge'

Ferrari heeft door de jaren heen vaak gedreigd de Formule 1 te verlaten. Het is inmiddels een grijsgedraaide plaat die in Maranello wordt opgezet als het zijn zin niet krijgt. Recent klonk dit geluid weer als gevolg van de discussie rond het verder terugbrengen van het budgetplafond. Bernie Ecclestone, die dit jarenlang heeft moeten aanhoren, heeft een interessante mening aan Ferrari overgehouden.

Ecclestone took power in Formula 1 when Enzo Ferrari himself was still at the helm of his racing team. Even then there were threats to set up a championship of their own. Ecclestone says in an interview with Autocar magazine that he always tried to ignore those threats as much as possible.

 I never took any notice. I’m not a man to take notice of anything other than what I want. If Ferrari wanted to leave, then they should have done it. They never did, and as it happens I have only fond memories of Mr Ferrari. He always told me what was really going on, even when he was busy telling everyone else the opposite.

F1 needs Ferrar more than the other way around

However, the former boss of Formula 1 is well aware of the power that Ferrari has within Formula 1. According to the 89-year-old Briton, the sport needs the team even more than the other way around. He was therefore the man who created the annual bonus for Ferrari when the TV money was handed out.

I think F1 without Ferrari isn’t at all good. And Ferrari’s brand is so strong that they could walk away from F1 and still be huge. Even when they aren’t winning in F1, you could ask a man in the street who won the world title and he would just say Ferrari.