Ecclestone claims he offered to pay Lewis Hamilton’s salary because F1 ‘needs a person of colour, a Chinese and a woman’

Bernie Ecclestone has responded to comments made by Sir Lewis Hamilton.

The already controversial figure of Bernie Ecclestone has become yet more questionable, after further unexplainable comments.

Ecclestone staggeringly said on both ITV’s ‘Good Morning Britain’ and Talk TV’s ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’ that he’d “take a bullet” for Vladimir Putin.

The former F1 CEO has now said that Sir Lewis Hamilton is “full of rubbish”, and that F1 needs a “person of colour, a Chinese and a woman”.

Ecclestone called Hamilton “incredibly rude”, after the seven-time World Champion said Ecclestone should lose his “platform” to speak freely.

Not only has the 91-year-old defended the invasion of Ukraine, but he has also defended Nelson Piquet Sr.

Footage from last November recently emerged of a Brazilian podcast, where Piquet was seen using racial slurs against Hamilton.

READ: Lewis Hamilton set for further talks with FIA president after backing down at British GP

As a result, the BRDC are set to revoke the Brazilian’s honorary membership and he is set to be banned from the F1 paddock.

Almost every team and driver spoke in support of Hamilton, including Max Verstappen, who’s girlfriend is Piquet’s daughter.

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When talking to Swiss newspaper Blick, Ecclestone explained that he doesn’t think he’s “sensitive enough”.

“Yes, maybe I’m not sensitive enough,” Ecclestone on Saturday said.

“I see many things differently, and I say them because I was asked so nicely.

“But I do stand by one statement – Putin was always fair to Formula 1. And I can’t say that about all the promoters.”

When asked about Hamilton in particular, Ecclestone insisted that the 37-year-old needs to be more careful the next time he speaks out against the former CEO.

Following the racial slur, Hamilton has said that elderly former drivers shouldn’t have their opinion shared due to ongoing racial comments, as well as Ecclestone.

Sensationally, Ecclestone claimed he offered to pay part of Hamilton’s wages when he joined Mercedes.

“Lewis has forgotten a lot,” he said.

“When Mercedes didn’t pay him what he asked for, I immediately said I’d pay the difference. Because Formula 1 needs a person of colour, a Chinese and a woman,” Ecclestone added.