Ecclestone: "Sometimes I word things in a way, they aren’t taken how I meant them"

Bernie Ecclestone may not be directly involved in Formula 1 anymore, but the businessman is still very vocal about events in the sport. He regularly makes statements that offend the people involved or that can count on fierce counter-reactions. Ecclestone states that he is sometimes misinterpreted.

Wrongly expressed

In an extensive interview with GQ-Magazine, Ecclestone is asked all sorts of questions, including whether he sometimes feels misunderstood. Ecclestone: "Sometimes I word things in such a way that they aren’t taken how I meant them to be. I’ve got myself into a bit of trouble, but I can honestly say that a person is a person to me. I take people as I see them."

He continues: "It doesn’t matter what colour they are or whether they’re a man or a woman, their religion or nationality, whether they’re rich or poor, their politics... Look at me: I’m below average height, but I don’t feel bad about it. I’m exactly the same as someone who’s taller. In fact, in an aircraft seat, I’m more comfortable than someone who’s taller. There are positives to everything. Nothing’s all bad."

Grosjean's violent crash

Romain Grosjean also comes up for discussion, who was able to walk away from a particularly bad accident. In his time, Ecclestone - especially when Formula 1 was not as safe as it is now - has seen a number of drivers die. Thus, he is asked how he deals with it.

Ecclestone: "I don’t go to funerals. If you were close to someone, they knew you were close to them. What’s the point of going to the funeral? They’re dead. They don’t know. When François Cevert was killed at Watkins Glen, it was horrible. He was basically cut in half. Carlos Reutemann came in and he was shaken up. They were mates."

"He told me what he’d seen, but then, when it was time to practise, he went back to the car. It sounds callous, but that’s how it was in those days. You just carried on. It’s much safer now, thanks to Sid [Watkins] and Max. But it will never be completely safe. You have to accept that," said Bernie Ecclestone, who has a clear opinion on the matter.