FROM BRABHAM TO BILLIONS! How Bernie Ecclestone Took Control of Formula One

Bernie ran F1 like a dictatorship, and the sport became better off for it. His iron fist meant drivers earned more, the sport got global TV coverage and he made an absolute FORTUNE off it.
But how did this man from Suffolk make his way to the top of F1 and sport as a whole, being one of the few men to actually own the sport he was in? Let's find out.
Enjoy! And remember to like and subscribe for more!
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[@AidanMillward]

Was wondering where all the comments were. Turns out KZbin turned them off. This site, I swear.

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Don't worry, I made up for it 😂

[@eamonahern7495]

I have to get groceries bit this video came up so I have to postpone going to the shops

[@pommunist]

KZbin just had to ask Bernie if comments were going to be allowed

[@LoganHunter82]

And here I thought you turned them off for because someone started flaming war 😂

[@ntlespino]

Bernie's tentacles lead all the way to Palo Alto?

[@SaraSpruce]

As much as Bernie did for the growth of F1, I can't say I miss him. Having been an active fan since the late 90s, I really like how much more accessible Liberty Media had made the sport to old and new fans alike. Back in Bernie's day, it always felt like Formula 1 was actively trying to keep its fans at a distance, while now it feels like you can get much closer to the sport as a fan. And while Liberty may be Americanising F1, it's not like Bernie didn't also constantly try to expand F1's reach in the US, just not very successfully.

[@GamerFlair]

People missing Bernie because Liberty are americanizing the sport forget what Bernie was actually like. Like what have Liberty really done to ruin the sport. - Sprint Races? I dont like them but Bernie would hae done them for the money. The always mentioned sprinklers being the obvious, he wanted that happening, he would have had no issue with sprint races qually. - Shitty Street circuits in US/Other places. Bernie invented that model of selling races to the highest bidder. - Drive to Survive. Granted, Bernie probably would never had got that running, but its not hurting the sport. It might be shit if your an avid fan, but its entertaining for what it is and does get people into the sport.

[@brucemckay7828]

I have to disagree with your idea that Bernie kept fans at a distance and L. M. is bringing them closer. I'm not a big fan of Bernie, I've followed F1 on and off for 50 years. My opinion, DTS brings a fantasy format to the audience. Each season more drivers protest at how they are presented and more bow out. Other social media connects fans and drivers but that was prior to Liberty Media. L. M. does access more revenue streams with profit to shareholders. Bernie just had fewer shareholders.

[@deeacosta2734]

He was horrible. Purely reactionary.

[@jsquared1013]

@@brucemckay7828 the content on the F1 KZbin channel alone has been fantastic, Bernie's days would copyright strike anyone and everyone who tried to upload even a moment of archived footage. Bernie absolutely tried to keep certain fans at a distance, A direct quote: "Young kids will see the Rolex brand, but are they going to go and buy one? They can't afford it. Or our other sponsor, UBS - these kids don't care about banking. They haven't got enough money to put in the bloody banks anyway. That's what I think. I don't know why people want to get to the so-called 'young generation'. Why do they want to do that? Is it to sell them something? Most of these kids haven't got any money. I'd rather get to the 70-year-old guy who's got plenty of cash. So, there's no point trying to reach these kids because they won't buy any of the products here and if marketers are aiming at this audience, then maybe they should advertise with Disney."

[@1pfuller]

@@brucemckay7828 - F1 social media “prior to Liberty Media” was an absolute joke. They have absolutely excelled in that regard.

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Of everything he did, his employing - and listening to & backing up - Prof Sid was by far the most important, and for that he has my respect. Sid was the biggest safety improvement in motor racing history imho. The story of him trying to persuade Senna to not race at Imola after the Ratzenberger tragedy, offering to retire himself and take Ayrton fishing broke me the first time I heard it, and it's making my eyes water up now. Top quality video yet again, my friend. Maybe one based on Sid's memoirs would be a good (great, even) one to tell. I remember Brundle saying that after _that_ accident in Oz, he had to see him if he was going to be able to get in the T-car, and Sid basically said that if he was able to run all the way back to the pits, then to see him, and remain coherent, he was fine to drive (I'm paraphrasing, of course). He didn't wrap them up in cotton wool, and he absolutely understood racers and the mindset. Because of that, if he said "no", they accepted his word. Definitely one of F1's greatest characters IMHO. Another was Charlie Whiting. A full story of Charlie would be great too. Sure, he was _no_ angel, but he had the drivers on his side and he got the job done far more often than not. I wonder what he would have done last year in Abu Dhabi?

[@dictumobiter1365]

100% agree.

[@GiftedGaz78]

Sensitive guy then?!

[@JohnSmithShields]

Great shout for two future videos. Aidan get on it!!!!!!

[@1pfuller]

Liberty Media has it's faults but as an American who started watching in 2011, I'm amazed by the level of interest in the sport here now. In 2011 when I mentioned F1 to family/friends the response was "is that like NASCAR? Now when I mention F1 the response it "Oh yeah Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen!"

[@insertgenericusernamehere2402]

Can thank Netflix for that too

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

It's fantastic that F1 is becoming big in the USA - as a Brit I _really_ am thrilled to bits about it. I don't have a problem with Liberty per se (they're no worse than Bernie, aka the Poison Dwarf), but what I - and many others - have a problem with is their bloody obsession with Middle Eastern money and street circuits. If they want street circuits, go take over Formula E! I know that the USA is massive, and that there's a lot of mileage even between Austin and Las Vegas, let alone with Miami, but if you look at a map - preferably one with population density in it, LV is going to be dreadful for the future of F1 in America. They've tied themselves into a long contract in a place where they demolish perfectly good hotels after a few years and put something more fashionable in their place. If that sort of thinking doesn't ring alarm bells, I don't know what will. Within 5 years, maybe even 3, people are going to get fed up of the strip being out of commission for the best part of a week, and the novelty will wear thin. True fans will travel to the extant tracks and camp there (just look at the crowds at the Sebring and Daytona 24 hour races. Those are why I know that American fans have the capacity to fall in love with F1 _if_ it's handled correctly). Why they didn't have a third race up north I don't know! More Indycar fans as a rule and a number of classic tracks (and there's a big crossover in fans between the two sports. I think Indy is terrific, including the terrifying ovals! I absolutely appreciate the testicular fortitude of everyone, including the ladies, who drive on them 😉). Indianapolis could do with a course change to make the infield a bit more interesting, but the rest of the circuit & its facilities is more than up to snuff. Nobody will ever convince me that a fast street circuit is safer than somewhere even like The Glen, which could definitely do with a face lift but is one hell of a circuit! Like Indy it's got history and class. Had they gone there, I'd have welcomed a 3-race stint in the USA with open arms. But even half of Miami's residents don't want that race, so why not Road Atlanta instead? It's in the right region (as in it's in the East) 🤷🏻‍♀️ Sorry for the rant. I just want the best racing possible, as that is the way F1 will keep US fans. When that Netflix thing ends, at least half of the current "fans" will fall by the wayside within a couple of seasons. I don't think those who have come to F1 from that will have the staying power, especially if there's a relatively dull season to follow. Some will, but only if they've been thoroughly schooled in the history of F1 by then. I don't think the majority will be, sadly 😥. Sorry to give you an essay to read, mate, but I have been a petrolhead for 50 years or so, so I get a tad passionate! I'm genuinely happy to have American "colleagues" when it comes to my biggest love.

[@alecerdmann8505]

@@y_fam_goeglyd While Vegas is in the middle of nowhere, the thing going for it is that there are almost countless relatively cheap flights into the city. It might be the easiest city in the US to get to somewhat affordably. I'm sure hotel prices will be hiked up considerably for that weekend, but there are so many rooms that deals can always be had. Despite the location, Las Vegas might be the easiest city for many American fans to attend due to the flight and hotel situation.

[@jsquared1013]

@@alecerdmann8505 it's also close enough to the second-largest city in the country that many people drive to it for weekend day-trips.

[@jsquared1013]

@@y_fam_goeglyd the problem with those other fantastic US tracks, is that it would take a LOT of money to upgrade them (not just safety, but paddock and facilities as well) on top of most of them being quite far from large population centers and infrastructure (big airport, sufficient hotels, etc). Las Vegas is fine for F1 because of the glitz and glamour of the 'image' of the city (well, the superficial one, anyway...) and because of how close it is to LA.

[@matthewlawrenson3628]

As I've often thought about Bernie - it's ALL going to come out when he finally leaves this world...

[@theoneandonlyAeth]

And lots and lots of it will be unpleasant.

[@michaelkitchin9665]

@@theoneandonlyAeth I've never heard many people say a bad word about him. By all accounts he was pretty approachable. I've no doubt he was a bit of a tyrant behind the scenes holding circuit owners to ransom, though.

[@theoneandonlyAeth]

@@michaelkitchin9665 He is/was a man with a lot of power and influence, bad things rarely if ever come out about people in positions like that. We know he's racist and homophobic and god knows what other hateful shit he believes. We also know he liked to rule with an iron fist and has a disturbing admiration of dictators, including Hitler and Putin.

[@deeacosta2734]

Absolutely

[@DidierPeroni]

@@theoneandonlyAeth he was considered amongst Nelson Mandela's best friends- and he donated ungodly sums of money toward the abolition of Apartheid in South Africa. Before you call someone a racist, have some context man

[@blacktoothfox677]

Gotta say, Bernie was a sweetheart when I met him. I was only a kid and he was real gracious with his time. Hope you and the fam are all good man.

[@nonflyingdutchman9573]

Who exactly is longing for the return of Bernie? In the mid 70's I could go to a GP for a few pounds and wander into the paddock after the race and get autographs (James Hunt and Jody Scheckter to name but 2). Under Bernie: ticket prices went up astronomically, access was reduced to nothing and TV is now behind a pay wall.

[@enzoschulmeister8625]

He made it profitable for the teams, pilots and organization

[@nonflyingdutchman9573]

@@enzoschulmeister8625 yes, at the expense of the fans like me....are you a team owner, driver/pilot or part of FOM?

[@richardhobbs7360]

@@nonflyingdutchman9573 he made F1 profitable, would you rather have no F1 or expensive F1?

[@nonflyingdutchman9573]

@@richardhobbs7360 F1 was fine before Bernie came along even if those taking part weren't becoming as rich as third world dictators. Bernie also killed off Group C sports cars because he thought it was taking sponsorship and manufacturers from F1. I'd have preferred as less well-off F1 and to have kept Group C

[@supertouring22]

Those 70's rose tinted glasses are still being used in 2022. I bet you even got cod, chips and peas and still had enough for the bus home.........

[@Tuberuser187]

Plenty of criticism could be directed at Bernie, his ruthlessness and stubbornness but he also enabled the capitalist theory of the "rising tide". He brought more and more wealth into the sport, yet he spread it around too and everyone got a slice of the pie. Perhaps the distribution could be analysed and shown to be "unfair" but at the end of the day the whole sport benefited, While I dont understand his motives I have a great deal of respect for how he backed Professor Watkins and deferred to his experience. Considering head injuries are very common in motorsport a Neurosurgeon, with other medical experience is a perfect match and being there race by race he would develop a relationship with the drivers and possibly help his patient and doctor trust.

[@barrycheesemore2928]

I can see what Bernie did for the sport, no argument there, but personally I think the only reason he cared about F1 was to line his own pockets. I'm glad he's no longer involved, and I think Liberty Media are doing a pretty good job so far. Just my personal opinion of course....

[@DidierPeroni]

I think they call that capitalism

[@crusherbmx]

No, he is a life long, hardcore F1 fan, one who just happened to make a lot of money at it....and F1 is brutally decadent anyway, so it's all good, he fits the mold. Bernie, Ron Dennis, Frank Williams, Enzo Ferrari, Colin Chapman, all cut from the same cloth.

[@neilkirman2258]

@@crusherbmx excellent post

[@donaldmoser212]

Was never a fan of Bernie, but I am one who still holds the 1970s-1990s F1 era. Fondly remember the Detroit F1 in the 1980s, with certain turns where you as a spectator, were less than a meter from the cars, only separated by a portable concrete barrier and catch fence!

[@T_Mo271]

Liberty Media seems to be doing a sufficiently good job. Bernie wore out his relevance many years before he left.

[@eamonahern7495]

Slightly off topic but, speaking of Niki Lauda, today I found out that Lauda Air is now a Ryanair subsidiary based in Malta making it the only carrier in the group that flies Airbus A320 planes instead of variants of the Boeing 737.

[@mpainter22]

Do you know the story of what Niki did after one of his planes crashed?

[@eamonahern7495]

@@mpainter22 no

[@mpainter22]

@@eamonahern7495 he said that if the crash was found to be a fault of Lauda Air he would resign on the spot (it was found to be a technical failure, one Boeing said was impossible) He was also hands on with the investigation to the point he forced Boeing to recreate the accident flight for real to prove what happened, i'm pretty sure there'll be a documentary about it on KZbin

[@ianwynne764]

Hello Aidan: Courtesy of you other videos, I knew the information on what happened. Now, you have filled in the details. Thank you again for all of your good work. Stay well and safe.

[@Gnrnrvids]

Another bloody good story time. Seriously good work Aidan.

[@RichieHorton]

Another superb video

[@BungleBare]

Bernie’s favoured negotiating position; there’s the status quo (let’s call that position A), there’s what Bernie would want to change that to (position B), and a ludicrous position far worse for the Teams that goes way past what Bernie actually wants (position C). Position C would be leaked to the Press, along with talk of bringing it in quickly, disregarding the Teams’ views, and all kinds of other talk that forced the Teams to sit down and talk to Bernie almost immediately. The Teams would insist on position A being the outcome. Bernie would insist on position C. After protracted negotiations a compromise would be reached, which closely resembled position B. The Teams would feel like they’d astutely used their power to win Bernie round to their way of thinking; disaster averted. But who’d actually got more-or-less what they wanted? Why, Mr Bernard Charles Ecclestone, of course. The Press and Bernie’s business adversaries fell for it every time.

[@Roland_Rohrle]

Thanks for the interesting detailed timeline.

[@minibus9]

great video

[@pete6891]

cheers mate!

[@frankbieser]

Comparing the explosion of success of F1 in the 90s and 2000s to what's going on today with Liberty media, and thinking it was better because of Bernie misunderstands history by many old fans is looking at history through rose tinted glasses. Bernie was a shrewd operator, but he was also very lucky on timing. The 90s was a time when all motor sports series flourished from high advertising revenues, not just from big tobacco, but a variety of industries, from laundry detergent to restaurant chains. The 90s saw the end of the cold war, and the liberalization of China which opened a lot of the world to building tracks and hosting races that were not an option in the prior decade. By the end of the 2000s, many sponsors began to lose interest in auto racing, and sponsorship money began to dwindle. Also, Russia was taken over by a thug, and China began back tracking on it's liberalization, making holding races in those places more politically and economically challenging. By that time, Bernie had gotten old enough he could no longer innovate and could only cling to the past. I recall back when social media was on the rise, when asked if F1 should have a social media presence Bernie answered by saying that only young people use social media, and they don't buy Rolex watches, so why bother? Bernie did great things for F1, but his time was done. I would also note, that with Bernie gone, and with the new concord agreement, Ferrari no longer has it's strangle hold on the sport though it's sole veto power. Selling to LM was the best thing he could have done.

[@realamerican5016]

Thank you for that video I was just thinking about how he wrangled control of Formula 1 last week. So insightful thank you appreciate it.

[@ashclub1]

Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

[@alvinnieves590]

Bernie Ecclestone and Vince McMahon have a lot in common. Both brought a product to the mainstream and probably without them both F1 and WWE wont be in what we know. But also, both did not recognize when they were becoming an obstacle.

[@mpainter22]

Vince McMahon inherited WWF from his father and has made a large chunk of his name off of other people (Royal Rumble was Pat Patterson's idea and Vince wasn't a fan of it)

[@jameshoffa7085]

​@@mpainter22He didn't inherit it, he bought it.

[@Hczeprocker]

Aidan great channel you have here. I am an American who has been watching F1 pretty faithfully since Andretti was going for his title in 78. Building the model cars in the 70's got me into the history of the sport and know most of it and the legendary drivers pretty well. Your Story Telling is Awesome and you seem to do some very solid research as well because I am slways learning something that I was not aware of before. You have a great channel and keep up the great work. One more thing, You wear that Blue Jays jersey sometimes, are you an American Baseball fan as well?

[@aydankhaliq2967]

Sometimes I miss Bernard. One of those times was the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix. Bernie would've definitely made that race go ahead IF the majority of the drivers wanted to race. His done it before(1976 Japanese GP). He probably would've tried to revive the German GP. He also cared for the drivers. One moment that sticks out in my mind was when Roberto Moreno was fired from Benetton and Bernie fought to give Moreno a racing seat.

[@dylancotton2061]

he would have made the belgium gp go ahead and caring for the drivers is a bit of a contridiction

[@aydankhaliq2967]

@@dylancotton2061 I should've explained more about that. If the drivers vote to race, they would've raced. If the drivers didn't vote to race, they wouldn't have raced. Case in point, Jeddah GP 2022.

[@nonflyingdutchman9573]

He was in charge for he Indianapolis farce

[@GiftedGaz78]

You said he would of made the race go ahead and in the next sentence you said he cares for the drivers more, isn’t that a contradiction? The race was called of for safety wasn’t it? So he obviously didn’t care if that’s what he would of done.

[@aydankhaliq2967]

@@GiftedGaz78 but IMO, Bernie would've actually had a racing lap instead of a parade lap around the circuit.

[@nightw4tchman]

I can't say I miss Ecclestone's style. It was fun some times but by the end he was of the wrong generation to be running things.

[@blacktoothfox677]

Because massive experience is a bad thing? Guess thats why nobody was begging Herbie Blash to return...

[@nightw4tchman]

@@blacktoothfox677 lol

[@blacktoothfox677]

@@nightw4tchman I can't say I miss nightw4tchman's style. It was dull most of the time and by the end he was of the wrong ageist prejudicial type to be making comments online

[@callumcjham4478]

3:50 - 4:28 This is why i love Lord Hesketh.

[@bbbl67]

I seem to recall that Bernie implemented a standard television squad that followed the circuit and implemented coherent quality standards between the circuits. This was sometime around 1985. Among other improvements, were more sophisticated recording equipment: pre-1985 you could barely tell what cars were going by from the recorded feed, and there was no such thing as instant replays to show action that was taking place elsewhere on the track that you would otherwise miss.

[@josephernest91]

Great video! Please follow up with max mosley, Charlie whiting, prof sid, and then maybe liberty media?

[@smith2781]

I highly recommend reading Bernie’s book ‘no angel’.

[@raykaufman7156]

Bernie was famously overheard at an early 2000s vintage F1 racing event saying "This is what F1 must have been like...before I fucked it up.".

[@OldStreetDoc]

Try as I might, I can never quite decide if Bernie is the shrewd businessman in motorsport or simply the luckiest purveyor of skullduggery in the history of motorsport. The true answer lies somewhere in between I’d reckon, but I cannot imagine Formula 1 being ANYthing even resembling what it is today without him. If he had never made that deal securing the rights?… who’s to say I suppose. While there are likely as many opinions of Bernie as there are people interested in the sport, without doubt I think it’s fair to say that he’s hands down the most influential person to Formula 1 in its history. And in some way, even if it were perhaps only a tiny way these days, I have no doubt that he’s moving & shaking & influencing the sport today. Personally, I enjoy Bernie Ecclestone. I’m just glad I’ve never had to negotiate with him on anything.

[@AidanMillward]

Think it was a different time. I've known several small business owners that are trying to do stuff like they did in the 80s and wondering why it's not working. It's that Bernie kept working with those same guys who still knew how it was back in the day, instead of the newer ones.

[@chrispraz5198]

Las Vegas, indianapolis, Dallas, Detroit, and Phoenix kind of show that Bernie knew the value of the US market. Not just Liberty.

[@icewhitegames6875]

Bernie lost his marbles towards the end.

[@DennisMerwood-xk8wp]

Michael Andretti does not know what an insignificant pipsqueak he is in the world of F1. The big boys!

[@geoffreywinfield7980]

" ... his testicular fortitude ..." I love it. (5:58)

[@tomeddie14]

Bernie definitely deserves much more respect for what he did for F1 - yeah sure towards the end he started to lose touch with moving forward, but it is undeniable what he's done for the sport we all love!

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

No

[@tomeddie14]

@@louisbeerreviews8964 yes

[@davethedog007]

Although I never liked the man I would defiantly recommend reading his autobiography. Giving details about how he started making money by buying caked on the way to school and then selling them to other pupils for a profit. To his lap dog Martin Brundle. Definitely shows what a nasty manipulative little man he is, but on top of that bloody good at making a lot of money.

[@philiptownsend4026]

Ha. I used to buy sweets on way to school and sell them to other pupils for small profits. But there my resemblance to B E ends...

[@gavinivers8941]

Like him or not Bernie was a clever man. Remember when refuelling came in and the teams all had to have refuelling systems? Bernie said to the then pissed off team owners "I'll supply the refuelling rigs" He did, with an invoice. When Ron and Frank rang to ask about the invoice he replied " I said I would supply, not pay for the refuelling rigs" lol

[@agesanderas3250]

Bit of an unrelated question, but can someone explain how the service roads inside tracks are laid out. Im trying to build a model circuit and Im not sure how to plan it out.

[@nonflyingdutchman9573]

can you not see it on Google satellite view?

[@agesanderas3250]

@@nonflyingdutchman9573 yes, but its hard to tell why its structured like that. What is the reason why this road is shaped like this and not that? What is the thought process behind the layout? Are there rules on how they should be positioned?

[@anthonys7565]

I liked the idea of the "sprinkler system”. If they randomly did it. At a unknown time or track. Could be wet or dry at anytime. Who knows? You go into a weekend with the possibility of a wet race. It needs some refinements. FIA locks it in before. Like the tyre choice. But that just my opinion.

[@mpainter22]

My two cents, Bernie may have had some hair brained ideas occasionally, his views may be out dated, but you can't argue that he wasn't a shrewd businessman, how many of the teams from 1976 might still be on the grid today if the team owners hadn't been so myopic? The most important thing Bernie ever did was bring in Sid Watkins and not only back him up but defer to him. Professor Watkins was the most important and powerful person in the paddock and if Sid said no that was it. Even Bernie knew it.

[@aaronaaronsen3360]

Bernie was really important in the modernization of the sport in his era, but in the end he became to conservative and couldn't understand the opportunities presented by internet like he did at the time for sponsorship and television rights. He did a great deal for this sport but it was really time he stepped down and since then, LM did a pretty good job of keeping Bernie's legacy: modernize the sport, improve safety, get rich in the process and not give a fudge about ethics.

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

No

[@Skasaha_]

Lovely video, but I'm cackling myself over the image of the old McLaren - driven by a Ferrari academy driver.

[@timocallaghan4408]

The fact he helped make gordon murray who he is today is already enough for me to have huge gratitude to him!

[@gandalf_thegrey]

Bernie is one of the more colourful characters of life :D

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

No

[@deanfarrimond7543]

I’m Still missing from the patrons list mate

[@thomasdorn7234]

Somebody said, "Bernie doesn't write checks..he cashes checks" TD Atlanta

[@paulmcmullen3267]

Great video> I want more people who werent driver stories. Charlie Whiting Max Mosely Sir Frank Williams Murray Walker Jean Todt Ross Brawn Tom Walkinshaw Ron Dennis

[@AzraelSWFC2011]

Wish F1 would return to Free to Air TV, fed up of crappy highlight packages on C4.

[@morry427]

After reading any comments section on F1 Facebook pages, in hindsight I think F1 has made a mistake embracing social media. Well I think society in general has made a mistake embracing social media. But seriously, wtf is wrong with the modern online ‘fan’ of F1?!

[@heliumtrophy]

I don't miss Bernie all that much, a change was needed. That said I'm increasingly losing all respect for Liberty Media's running of F1 and their talk of teams as "franchises" and all that, that I respect part of Bernie's ethos in terms of social media and other aspects as well. If there was a midway point between the two I think I would be happy. As it stands, I will probably watch the more traditional races but ignore their prized assets that they parade.

[@fallenshallrise]

It's funny, but it seems that all corporate takeovers include a confusing change of terminology that signifies that there is a new boss in town. Teams are franchises, fans are guests, a sponsor is a partner, a track is a circuit or a circuit is a track, and a managing director is now a chief executive officer, etc.

[@janimizer1725]

to summarise he was a huge knob but without him we wouldn't have F1

[@Lobo-tommy10]

I saw thousands of people boo him at Indy. Every time they showed his face on the screens people booed. I thought well now he surely hates Indiana.

[@mafiousbj]

He may have made some good decisions on the business side, but also his decisions regarding hybrid engines (Merc dominance) and boring track selections that only ran for a few years (Korea, India, etc) brought the ratings plummeting, together with the prohibition for drivers and teams to post anything from the paddock or grid in social media, so he was running F1 into a wall that only the Netflix series seems to have solved (at least for now grabbing tons of casual fans) Guy was way past his expiration date when he left

[@milracing73]

What is your theme music?

[@brucemckay7828]

Every age has it's gatekeeper and Fire Starter. I believe Bernie worked in his. Times change. I'm glad Bernie bowed out. And I'm happy he stayed as long as he did.

[@IIGrayfoxII]

Bernie also demanded the Australian GP to be a night race or F1 wont race in Australia. Glad that idea never panned out.

[@shig.bitz.3205]

Lol Max Moseley I too get nostalgic about the Bernie days during these times of Americanisation. F1 used to seem other worldly, like it was from another dimension and now it just feels a bit plastic and a bit forced sometimes. Also I resent the fact that it's not on free TV anymore. I'd watch more races if it was. I mean GTWC, LMS and most of the other big endurance races and series all stream on YT with professional commentary teams. I wouldn't expect F1 to do something like that, but if the biggest race on the calendar gets broadcasted for free I don't understand why they have to hide half of the season behind a pay-wall.

[@chrisguardiano6143]

As an American there are some similarities between Bernie & Bill France Jr the CEO of NASCAR from 1972-2000 in terms of how they ran their respective motorsports like a dictatorship & in terms of how both NASCAR & F1 grew during their time in charge especially when it came to TV coverage. However unlike F1, NASCAR has largely remained in the hands of the France family since Bill France Jr. left with Brian France Bill's son being CEO from 2003-2018 & his brother Jim the current CEO. Since Bill France Jr. left, NASCAR has had a period of growth (1990's-2006) followed by a long decline (2006-2019) although things are looking up for NASCAR currently. Like in F1, the older generation of fans in NASCAR aren't too thrilled about the changes the sport has made in recent years which they view as making NASCAR more European, especially the addition of road courses to the schedule & going to Le Mans in 2023, though adding more short tracks & making the cars look more stock balances this out.

[@bbbl67]

I don't know anyone who is longing for the days of Ecclestone to return. Is this a British thing only? Truth of the matter is that even if Bernie was still in charge of F1, he'd trying to get more and more American races together as well, just like Liberty Media is. The only difference would be that he'd be so greedy, he'd inevitably fail in obtaining these American races. He tried to get several American races while he was in charge, and the only ones he was successful at getting were Indianapolis and Texas, the others just fell away as they couldn't afford his demands.

[@TerminalSports45]

I believe that if Bernie left sooner he'd be much more beloved by F1 fans

[@amparollopis7435]

❤🎉🛣️ F1 VALENCIA 💃

[@Regulus985]

As interesting as Bernie is, I don’t miss him. F1 seems to be in a decent place with Liberty Media.

[@olliebrown89]

The only thing that annoys me about your videos is that I didn't find them earlier. Blame the all mighty algorithm.

[@crusherbmx]

Bernie is such a character that it's easy to believe he is just a scripted character in an action thriller. Seriously though, he is a 100% hardcore F1 fan, you have to accept that....his epic car collection alone should be proof of that, and even if he didn't make billions at this he'd still be involved.

[@TheZudah]

Why Bernie didnt try to take over cart back in the day and made it part of the fia?

[@philipbarton3456]

Let's be real, and I am saying this as an American. The problem is that the sport still wanted to be an American open wheeled series with the lofty goals of acting as a marketing competitor to F1. And pre the split it had the potential too.

[@richardhobbs7360]

@@philipbarton3456 Cart never had a chance, and you gave the perfect reason, "American open wheel" not global which is why F1 got big, but American

[@BungleBare]

The FIA and FOM were two different entities - Bernie couldn’t bring CART under the FIA’s wing. Max Mosley or Jean-Marie Balestre might have been able to, had they been so minded, and CART were also willing, but here’s the thing; CART were happy to plough their own furrow, and had previously fought hard for their independence from USAC. I couldn’t envisage CART giving up that hard-won independence and becoming yet another FIA-sanctioned branch of motorsport like F1, F3000, Group B or C, or whatever. CART were in charge of their own destiny or, at least they thought they were. Until The Split.

[@mickcompagnoni1114]

We've all hammered into a wet corner on a sunny day (gets your attention, huh), so as long as someone can beat the "Medal" idea out of Bernie with a large wooden stick, I say screw Liberty Media. Bring Bernie Back!

[@tHebUm18]

As a recent F1 fan, Bernie's takes on recent events all seem pretty awful--like a curmudgeon entrenched in his ways and any change must be bad. Good story as ever though.

[@mathewperring]

You forgot to mention when he flogged it off to the German TV company that went bankrupt and then got it back.

[@AidanMillward]

No I didn’t.

[@jimsmith3971]

Aidan is an alpha male. He intimidates me.

[@smokeymchaggis73]

I was a fan for all of Bernie's run. I'd say no thanks to having him/someone like him back. He was an old fuddy duddy who was out of touch. Especially when it came to the safety of the cars and tracks. He was an owners guy who didn't care about the drivers the way he should have.

[@mpainter22]

Yet he bought Sid Watkins into the sport and told German GP organisers that if he didn't see Prof Watkins in the circuit control tower then the race was off, you don't do stuff like that if you don't care, he may have been greedy but by no means was Bernie stupid

[@smokeymchaggis73]

@@mpainter22it definitely wasn't because Bernie could have his guy who wouldn't rat to governments after fatal crashes and be completely under his own thumb? Just cause he brought a competent doctor in doesn't mean that guy wasn't there for very particular reasons.

[@mpainter22]

@@smokeymchaggis73 calling Sid Watkins merely "competent" is a grave slight against his legacy tbh

[@smokeymchaggis73]

@@mpainter22 I knew this was coming. Being competent isn't a slight. Smh...

[@RobbertsTravelGuides]

Bernie did it allright but switching to hybrids wasnt so nice. Sure those sprinklers is a absolute no-go but he did it allright!

[@AidanMillward]

The FIA switched to the hybrids, not Bernie.

[@GiftedGaz78]

We want Bernie back so we have a massive difference between top and bottom, so Ferrari get paid more for no other reason than being Ferrari. Bernie did make the sport what it is today, a financial juggernaut, but at the same time he was in the pockets of the big teams.

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

No we don’t

[@zolimajster8313]

Totorni Wolffenstone - my ideal boss of the F1.

[@unwokeneuropean3590]

Joe Pesci of formula 1

[@AmsterdamHeavy]

Yeah, I have a lot of things to say about Bernie, mostly bad. Lets just leave it at "he served his purpose and outlived his time".

[@ianjgd]

He renamed something and cut out 50 years of history iver TV coverage.

[@soisaidtogod4248]

He helped make it world class, but ran it like a upset teen. It is just getting yank-ed per se.

[@cosmostrek2001]

he is the best business man in the last 50 years. he built a race series with bales of hay for walls. to a multi billion dollar company. he told all the tracks they would never make any money paying such a high fee. but they did not believe him. he is smarter than all of them put together

[@simonjackson7269]

A rather successful used car dealer!

[@AidanMillward]

If I met him I’d take my watch off before shaking his hand

[@johansmit4447]

Formula 1 was a much better motorsport while being run by Bernie Ecclestone. Today, it is a political and commercial calamity.

[@warrenphillips69]

38 (M), I too am concerned about Liberty Media & it's American politics infecting the sport.

[@screwball992]

ikr, don't get me wrong I'm down for having a race in the usa but 3? It's kinda taking the piss.

[@nonflyingdutchman9573]

​@@screwball992 Europe population is 750 million and has 10 GP's so USA with population of 330million having 3 doesn't seem excessive.

[@screwball992]

@@nonflyingdutchman9573 when you say it like that I guess your right. It's just that the USA is the USA usually the European ones represent a single country as opposed to just representing europe I get they represent states but I never really get that feeling.

[@jsquared1013]

@@screwball992 the landmass of the continental US (meaning without Alaska and Hawaii) is larger than "western" Europe, and by a significant margin, and since Germany doesn't have a race this season, the US population is larger than all the other countries in Europe that host races this season combined. Germany, Spain, Japan, and the UK have all hosted multiple GPs in a single regular (non-COVID adaptation) season, and Italy still does, all of which have much smaller areas and populations. [The "San Marino" GP is not actually in San Marino, it's in Italy proper; one could argue similar for Monaco/France although the Monaco GP is actually squeezed into the tiny sovereign area of Monaco itself.]

[@TheFarCobra]

When is this grand new, post Ecclestone, plan for F1 supposed to kick in?

[@Skasaha_]

Already has. Under Bernie social media just didn't exist.

[@jamesstewart1794]

Kinda like how we want trump back ?

[@pommunist]

At least Bernie is a successful businessman...

[@HallucinatingHedgehogs]

Who wants him back? Obama, McCain, or maybe even Bush I’ve heard but not really trump except for a vocal minority

[@jameshoffa7085]

3:06 What is "garage easter teams?"

[@AidanMillward]

Garagista- Enzo Ferrari’s insulting name to the British teams who built cars in garages and sheds without the resources he had. The same teams that were kicking his arse every weekend. 😅

[@jameshoffa7085]

@@AidanMillward Interesting

[@ryaramaf1gobshite397]

I’m one of those old git’s that can see what liberty media are doing for our sport & don’t like it. I’ve been following a few yank youtuber’s who seem SO happy that Las Vegas is on the calendar but aren’t happy cos it’s a great track jst cos it’s in Vegas. They don’t seam to realise that liberty media are taking our great sport & turning it into a yank shit show… there trying to turn Vegas into the new Monaco & after watching the Vegas announcement (seeing only 5mins cos couldn’t watch any more!!!) Realising that these fool’s can’t even get anyone’s name right how can they honestly make this sport better…by giving commands to race director’s to break rule’s then firing(sorry demoting them with pay rise!!!) cos of it??? This was very Americanised thing to do & can only get worse as this is a sport from 70yrs of learning not jst some fool turning up & putting everything on black(or should that be white!!!) I’ve seen yank motorsport & it has nothing on F1, BTCC, DTM, GT series MotoGP…ISLE OF MAN!!!I can carry on but I’ll be here all day!!! Sorry for the rant but I’ve been shouting this since they took over & there’s no one who will listen except my nephew…poor lad!!!great vid’s keep them up & I’ll try to bite my tongue 👍