Coulthard shares Beatles legend George Harrison’s secret F1 song ‘Bernie Says’

11:48, 20 Jul

byNorberto Mujica

David Coulthard has shared a unique story from Formula 1’s past, one that involves a Beatle, a dinner in Melbourne, and a song poking fun at Bernie Ecclestone, the then F1 Supremo.

Speaking to Motorsport Magazine, Coulthard recalled a surreal evening in Australia when he attended a dinner with former Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug and legendary musician George Harrison.

“Musicians always came around F1, and a surreal rock star moment was when George Harrison was still alive,” Coulthard said. “We went to a dinner in Melbourne with Norbert Haug, and George was there."

“In this small restaurant, at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, he played us a song he’d written called ‘Bernie Says’ – it’s never been published.”

David Coulthard still remains linked to F1 as a Red Bull ambassador but also as commentator for F1TV and often a post-session interviewer as well.

Harrison poked fun at 'Ecclestone the F1 dictator'

The track, according to Coulthard, was a light-hearted but pointed nod to Ecclestone’s reputation for running F1 with an iron grip.

“The chorus line was basically: ‘Bernie says, do this, Bernie says…’ It was just showing that Bernie was the dictator of F1, that everything that happened would be because Bernie had decided,” he explained.

But in true Harrison fashion, the song was delivered with charm rather than malice. “It was done in a musical, quirky, Beatles, George Harrison way, which was kind of a moment! [You think] wow, this is pretty special!”

Ecclestone’s leadership turned Formula 1 into a global sporting giant, but his often authoritarian style has long divided opinion, making Harrison’s unreleased song a fascinating, if tongue-in-cheek, snapshot of the era.