Bernie Ecclestone, now 94 years old, was the mastermind behind Formula 1 for decades. With his sharp business deals, small stature, and big mouth, the Brit turned the sport into a billion-dollar empire. He is charming, notorious, and always controversial. This provides ample reason to compile some of his most notable quotes. And there are quite a few…
The Ten Most Controversial Statements by Bernie Ecclestone:
- “In business, you always have to be a bit of a jerk.”
(2006, on his tough business approach) - “The best way to become a millionaire in Formula 1 is to start as a billionaire.”
(2012, on the costs associated with participating in Formula 1) - “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.”
(2012, according to Ecclestone, controversies are good for the sport) - “I have a great idea: women should all dress in white, like all other household appliances.”
(2005, following speculations about Danica Patrick‘s possible entry into Formula 1) - “My autobiography should be released the day after my death. The first twelve copies can then go to the tax office, by then it will be too late.”
(2004, on the ideal release time for his biography) - “Waiters are like prostitutes: never around when you need them.”
(2013, on his experiences in restaurants) - “If you say ‘Good morning’ in America and it’s five past twelve, you end up with a lawsuit.”
(2014, on the American culture of lawsuits) - “The death of Ayrton Senna was good for Formula 1.”
(2009, on the impact of Ayrton Senna’s death in 1994) - “I would take a bullet for Putin, he is a good man. Vladimir Zelenski should have negotiated with Putin instead of going to war.”
(2022, about ‘his friend’ Vladimir Putin) - “I’d rather be rich and hated than poor and popular.”
(2004, on the relative downside of success)
