Former F1 boss Ecclestone praises Putin

This article was last updated on June 30, 2022

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After Ecclestone’s words on Putin, Formula One has distanced itself from the former CEO.

As Bernie Ecclestone announced on Thursday, the sport’s governing body would no longer be associated with any of his anti-Russian remarks. Former F1 CEO says he still supports Russian President Vladimir Putin despite the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to Formula 1, Bernie Ecclestone’s statements are “personal opinions” and “in striking contrast” to “the current standards” of the sport.

When we need to unite to combat racism and injustice, Bernie Ecclestone’s words, which have no place in Formula 1 or in society, are absolutely out of place.

In an interview with the Good Morning Britain show, 91-year-old Ecclestone said he “would still want to take a bullet” for Putin. Ecclestone described him as “a global man who has simply done what he believed was right.”

“Unfortunately, he is not an outlier when it comes to these traits; neither am I. It’s inevitable that we will all make errors, and when we do, we must try our best to fix them.”

Zelensky is also chastised by Ecclestone.

Ecclestone’s criticism of Vladimir Putin didn’t end there. Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, was also a target of his ire. Ecclestone went on to say, “That other person in Ukraine, I assume, was once a comedian.”

“In my opinion, he should return to his previous career. Instead, he should have taken more time to meet with Mr. Putin, a sane and intelligent guy. He could have done something if he had listened.”

Ecclestone has made contentious remarks before, and Formula 1 has felt obligated to distance itself from those sentiments. When he claimed that “black people are typically more racist than white people” exactly two years ago, the Briton was similarly rejected.

This weekend’s Grand Prix of Great Britain is taking place at Silverstone, where the Formula 1 drivers have arrived.