Pit Stop | Foot in mouth? No problem when you make billions like Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone
F1 is a lucrative sports brand and despite his flaws, the kingmaker is keeping it ticking along very nicely
What is it about sports administrators nowadays? Football is all of a tizz. Fifa is in the mire with president Sepp Blatter and European boss Michel Platini both suspended and handfuls of other figures being investigated by the police.
In Formula One we have Bernie Ecclestone, 85, and the kingmaker in the sport for as long as most people can remember. He continues to run F1 despite what you could argue is a history that in any other line of work might see you being shown the door.
[Bernie Ecclestone] is maximising his profit by cultivating new markets ... it's a simple profit over loss calculation
He's already had to pay out £60 million (HK$718 million) to end a German bribery trial. In the past he's also described women as "domestic appliances" and spoke about Adolf Hitler's ability to "get things done". Now he's stirred up a hornets' nest again. After the Russian Grand Prix, he praised Blatter and said he should stay in his Fifa role.
He told the Russian television station RT: "I don't think he should have ever stepped down, and I don't think he should have been challenged. Because of him we have a lot of countries around the world playing football. And if these people allegedly have been corrupted to make things happen in their country, it's good. It's a tax football had to pay".
RT is a mouthpiece for the Russian regime and Ecclestone was wily enough to heap praise on President Vladimir Putin, saying he was, "Super, I'm his best supporter".
