No Angel: The Secret Life of Bernie Ecclestone by Tom Bower

Author:Tom Bower [Bower, Tom]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780571269372
Publisher: Faber
Published: 2011-02-23T23:00:00+00:00

Ecclestone had little affection for Silverstone, an 800-acre plot owned by the British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC) where Grands Prix have been held since the first competition year, 1950, and every year since 1987. The dilapidated buildings, the shabby environment and the poor road access were in Ecclestone’s opinion an indictment of the club’s management, but his relations with Silverstone were amicable until Tom Walkinshaw was elected the club’s chairman in 1992. Walkinshaw’s bid to revolutionise the club’s finances was opposed by the majority of members, led by Ken Tyrrell. After shrugging off accusations of misconduct for persuading the board to invest £5.3 million of the BRDC’s money in his own failing business, Walkinshaw was deposed along with the entire committee. Ecclestone was disappointed by Walkinshaw’s demise, which ended the chance to rebuild Silverstone, and never fully understood the reasons behind Walkinshaw’s removal. ‘I don’t ask questions where I don’t want to know the answers,’ he said. ‘In Formula One people make promises and do things to keep their teams running and think, “Tomorrow it’ll be fine.” But they don’t keep their promises. Their eyes get in the way of reality.’

The committee’s replacements were rich enthusiasts unsympathetic to Ecclestone’s transformation of their amateur sport into a global business and unwilling to remedy his intolerance of Silverstone’s shoddiness because of the club’s poverty. Unlike other Grand Prix circuits across the world, Silverstone received no government finance and Ecclestone’s success had killed any prospect of British politicians approving a subsidy which would ultimately enrich Ecclestone even more. Those excuses were of no interest to Ecclestone. The BRDC managers were expected to raise more money to pay Ecclestone and the teams, and to improve their facilities regardless of their income. He had little truck with win–win scenarios, just the maximum win for himself. The endless argument between the two sides ended with an abrupt refusal by the BRDC and RAC to upgrade Silverstone to international standards. Ecclestone’s threat was heartfelt: ‘If you don’t want to play, I can take the Grand Prix somewhere else.’

One target of his anger was Jackie Stewart, the British champion embraced by the BRDC as the trusted ambassador of British motor car racing. Their frosty relationship since the mid-1960s had deteriorated with Ecclestone’s success. Undoubtedly influenced by Ken Tyrrell, Stewart resented Ecclestone earning from the sport more than anyone else in the world. Stewart was especially sore because he believed he had contributed to Ecclestone’s prosperity by introducing him to the ruler of Malaysia who wanted to host a Grand Prix. Then, in the early 1990s, Stewart had introduced Ecclestone to the Crown Prince of Bahrain, which also led to a Grand Prix in that country. Stewart’s expectation of gratitude was mistaken. ‘Bernie’s deals are his deals and no one else’s,’ rued Stewart. The personal animosity was incurable. When Max Mosley spoke of Jackie Stewart as ‘a twit in a flat cap’, Ecclestone was less charitable. Their mutual dislike had been aggravated in 1997 after Ecclestone arranged for Jackie Stewart’s team in Monaco to be parked inconveniently on the fringes of the Paddock.

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