On the podium in Sochi, Lewis Hamilton for the second year raised questions in the mind of commentators as to whether he’d been recruited by the Russian tourist board.
“I’m very, very proud to be here in Russia, we’ve had a great time, thank you so much everyone. Beautiful, beautiful country. If you’re watching and you’ve never been out here, you should definitely come”.
The moment was not lost on interviewer Eddie Jordan who added, “He sounds like an ambassador; I think we’ll have to appoint him”.
Yet a number of the paddock members have reported there is a general feeling amongst the teams of ‘lets’s get through the weekend and get out’. Joe Saward wrote, “People who one expects to see at races, were not there. Others kept their heads down and talked only of racing matters, and mumbled quietly about getting the weekend over and done with, and looking forward to going to the other extreme in a few days time in Austin, Texas”.
But it’s not just Lewis promoting Russia as some kind of F1 nirvana weekend.
Bernie Ecclestone did an interview with Russian TV broadcaster RT and he had the following to say. “I don’t think Russia needs sporting events to be great and look great. What it does, it exposes to the rest of the world what Russia is – and that’s a difference.”
Geo-politics is clearly something Bernie now thinks he has some expertise. “The trouble today in the world is that we haven’t got too many real leaders. If you look at all the countries and try to pick somebody – it wouldn’t be easy. You’ve got semi-sort of people who think they would be doing that, but they are not.” When asked specifically about Vladimir Putin, Ecclestone remarked, “Super. I’m his best supporter.”
In contrast, America-land appears to have fallen from grace with F1’s mover and shaker. “I’m not very enthusiastic about America, so… The biggest problem with them is that they believe they’re greatest sort of power in the world. And it’s difficult, because, they are a big island, so they are a bit isolated; they are slowly starting to learn what other people in the world do.”
The teams and their sponsors of course have a very different view on the importance of America to them.
Ecclestone also supports Putin’s stance on the treatment of FIFA’s president Seb Blatter. “I don’t think he should have ever stepped down, and I don’t think he should have ever been challenged, because it’s because of him we have a lot of countries around the world that are now playing football. And if these people allegedly have been corrupted to make things happen in their country, it’s good. It’s a tax football had to pay.”
The ramblings from Bernie also visit his usual favourites on F1 and democracy, his successor being ‘more democratic’ and the need to tear up the F1 rulebook and start again.
“I think a lot of that technical regulations are too stringent, and it’s really been like an old house and people keep adding bits and pieces to it, and really, nobody knows why we’ve added them. I am as guilty as anybody else; so, I think maybe we ought to tear it up and have another book”.
Of course the technical regulations make Formula One what it is and whilst TJ13 supports this idea, the F1 house that needs tearing down is bigger than just the technical regulations. The latest ramblings from the diminutive white haired old man at the helm of Formula One make it clear both the house and its builder are no longer fit for purpose in the 21st century, so it’s time to commission a new architect.
In contrast, America-land appears to have fallen from grace with F1’s mover and shaker. “I’m not very enthusiastic about America, so… The biggest problem with them is that they believe they’re greatest sort of power in the world. And it’s difficult, because, they are a big island, so they are a bit isolated; they are slowly starting to learn what other people in the world do.”
As far as i know that’s not far from the truth in there, unless the writer is an American of course…
Formula one got rid of only onehalfitscancer, when formula one gets rid of the otherhalfcancer still left, formula one would have got rid of a big blood sucking cancer.
Sooo, corruption is good because it’s a tax people in developing countries have to pay? Ha, thanks Bernie for that stellar opinion.
Don’t forget, this is from a man who bribed his way out of a bribery charge. He has no idea how decent people do things. Or, maybe he does, and just takes advantage of other people’s decency.
It would be great if the American customs stick Ecclestone on the “undesirable” list, to see him turned away or sitting on the tarmac waiting for clearance, would be priceless. There are sanctions against a bunch of Vlad’s rich buddies maybe the Troll could be added to the list.
Americans and Texans in particular are a patriotic enough bunch, that they might just decide to stop hosting a Formula 1 race on their territory. In my opinion Ecclestone can’t have it both ways, getting loads of money from shady countries and then also wanting to conquer the North-American market. There’s a certain conflict of interest and I am truly surprised that there has been so much silence on the topic from everyone but the usual few voices.
I think it’s understandable why some people in the West admire Putin. Putin is the country leader who has the balls, and the determination to defend his country’s rights, defy the west, and tell USA to stop when it was invading Iraq, setting up the Arab spring, or overthrowing Ukraine’s legitimate president through its opposition proxies in 2013-14. Putin does not stop there, but proceeds to do in Syria what the civilized world should have done many years ago. I can’t blame Hamilton really. Everyone is searching for heroes. Some view Hamilton is a hero, but perhaps he views Putin the same way.
To me the wrongs of Putin outweigh the rights.
But I have to admit, being allergic to PC and the general schoolboy attitude of my country – it’is hard not to feel a little jealous of how he gets things done. If it were a Russian plane, shot down by us, he would’ve acted swiftly. But we – the dutch government – keep crawling on our knees and bending over backwards and still call the fucking terrorist attack a fucking accident! If only we had his resolve…
Here’s the interview: https://www.rt.com/shows/sophieco/318842-sport-speed-formula-one/?
It’s painful to watch.
Extraordinary stuff. The bimbo (“Ahm a polodical jernlist”) practically has her tongue up his @ss.
You know who that ‘bimbo’ is, don’t you? She is the grand daughter of the despotic ex-president of ex-Soviet Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze. He was formerly involved in running Georgia as the First Secretary of Georgia under the Soviets. After the break up of the Soviet Union he returned to Georgia and was elected president in 1995. He was ousted in 2003. I have relatives in New Zealand who were involved in saving orphans in Georgia and met with Eduard and his wife several times; the stories are not nice; corruption was rampant. So his grand daughter is now on Russian TV, speaks VERY good English, and is talking to Bernie…..
I can’t wait to hear what Mr E. has to say about the fearless leader of the country hosting the “european grand prix” next year. He really should join Dennis Rodman on his next field trip to North Korea.
I’ve read and heard a lot of the rubbish that Mr E has spouted over the years; but when I saw this, it just completed my divorce from F1.
The way FIFA do things, and the IOC did before, is so underhand and demeaning to the values I believe we as people should aspire to, that I disassociated myself from getting even excited about World Cup football a good few years back.
I just would like Mr E get his comeuppance like Sep is finally getting. Whether it is shady ‘businessmen’ like these guys or de facto country Dictators, whatever the ‘benefits’ they are offering are just not worth it.
Karma will get them.