It has staggeringly been six years since former Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone was released from his duties at the pinnacle of motorsport, a role he held for 40 years after taking on the job in the late 1970s.
He was forcibly removed from the position following the sport’s takeover by Liberty Media, with Chase Carey having taken the former supremo’s place.
Despite some of his controversial comments and decisions, Formula 1 wouldn’t be what it is today without Ecclestone, who quite literally gave his all to the sport.
Formula 1 grew exponentially under his leadership, both in terms of popularity and financially, with the 92-year-old having set the foundations for what the sport is today.
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Everything has grown under his leadership, with driver safety in particular having improved considerably during his tenure.
His leadership, though, did result in some issues.
Despite it not having been his fault, Ecclestone was blamed by the fans for only six cars taking place in the 2005 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis, after the 14 cars that were using Michelin tyres entered the pits after the formation lap, amid safety concerns.
Ecclestone also infamously told Ayrton Senna’s family that he’d died before he’d actually passed away, following his crash at Imola in 1994.
Ecclestone’s entire journey in Formula 1 has since been turned into a docuseries titled ‘Lucky’, with the series taking a look into his remarkable journey at the pinnacle of motorsport.
The show is narrated by the F1 supremo himself and takes a look at all of his controversial comments, something that makes for fascinating viewing.
Six years ago, when Ecclestone’s departure was announced, he thanked everyone he’d ever worked with in Formula 1 and hailed how “proud” he is of what he “achieved” with the sport.
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“I’m proud of the business that I built over the last 40 years and all that I have achieved with Formula 1,” commented Ecclestone at the time.
“I would like to thank all of the promoters, teams, sponsors and television companies that I have worked with.
“I’m very pleased that the business has been acquired by Liberty and that it intends to invest in the future of F1.”