Bernie Ecclestone Hints at Influencing F1 Once Again as His Wife Campaigns for Top FIA Role

The 2021 season is now over and 2022 brings with a whole new season. With fresh lineups and new regulations, there will also be a new FIA president, as Jean Todt hung up his cap at the end of this season. F1 is suited in and ready for a new era. With an empty, and albeit powerful seat up for grabs, Bernie Ecclestone shows his interest in influencing the sport.

In a recent interview, Ecclestone reflected upon the 2021 season, revealing that he has an eye on the sport’s future. When asked about his wife, Fabiana’s reach to Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Ecclestone considered a leeway to F1.

Sulayem is a contender to Todt’s empty seat in the upcoming elections for the role. Thus, Fabiana Ecclestone may prove to be a crucial thread for Bernie. “It’s true my wife is on his team. And as a good husband, of course, I am at her and her friends’ side with help and advice. We’ll see…”

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Things just got interesting for Todt’s seat. Will we see the Ecclestone name back in Formula 1 soon?

Ecclestone hypothesizes F1 boss role

With drama defining the season gone by, the former F1 CEO explains how he would have better handled the messy finale. He starts off with a strong statement: “It would never have come to that.”

Explaining what went wrong in the decisive moments of the season, Ecclestone kicks off his list with the televised radio messages. “I would never have allowed all the radio messages from the team bosses to the race management to be heard on television during the race. I would have forbidden such communication during the competition as a matter of principle.”

Michael Masi has been bearing the brunt of the eventual result because of the messages between him and the team principals of the leading teams. “That can’t happen again next year.”

Further, Ecclestone reasons that the conflict resolution should have been managed better; in his day, it was dealt with differently. “Then I asked all the gentlemen into my room and clarified the matter in a conversation. I would have reminded them yesterday that the sport is bigger than any of them.”

Finally, the result was fair- an idea he would’ve had explained well to Toto Wolff if he had the position. ” I would have made it especially clear to Toto Wolff that Max won the title cleanly on the track in the end. And that is why the result has to stay that way.”

Even hypothetically, Ecclestone’s ideas remain as clear as when he was in charge of the sport. With a fresh start in 2022, will Ecclestone take up the new role up for grabs?

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