The Negotiator Par Excellence:
by Stuart Sykes.
1999 Qantas Australian Grand Prix Official Program.

If John Le Carre ever decided to switch his attention from spymasters to motor sport, he would find in Bernard Charles
Ecclestone a central character at last as absorbing as his own George Smiley, a damn sight more powerful, and absolutely real. Bernie Ecclestone has been compared with such 19th Century titans as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and J. Pierpont Morgan, each of whom. in his own way built and controlled the steel, oil and banking industries as Ecclestone now controls motor sport in our post-industrial world.

Today, he counts his friends as some of the world's most powerful people, from political figures like Nelson Mandela, Carlos Menem, Helmut Kohl and Tony Blair, to motorsport moguls such as Fiat's Gianni Agnelli, Ford's Jacques Nasser, and Chrysler-Daimler's Jurgen Schrempp. Thanks to Ecclestone's legendary wheeling and dealing, Formula 1 today is a multi-billion dollar business. In terms of international TV and media coverage, Grand Prix racing, with each race beamed to some 450 million viewers in 132 countries, simply has no rival. Combine actual race telecast with qualifying, practice sessions, and news coverage, and the sheer scope of Formula 1 becomes apparent - a staggering one million minutes of TV, broadcast on 52,000 separate occasions to a total audience of more than 50 billion viewers every year. These impressive figures are surpassed only by the Summer Olympics and World Cup Soccer - events that are held every four years, unlike Formula 1, whose races happen every two weeks during the season, every year.

Nicknames like "Napoleon" speak volumes for the control Ecclestone exercises over F1, but "Bernie", as he is better known, remains true only to himself. "People use a little poetic licence to fill in the blanks of my life", he smiles, and the past is full of them. From reputedly humble origins as the son of a trawler skipper on England's eas coast, Ecclestone has made himself a sporting impresario to compare with the greatest ever seen. As we celebrate the 50th season of the FIA Formula One World Championship this year, we should remember that Ecclestone marked his own 50th anniversary in motorsport of one kind or another last year.

Through early experience of motorcycling, then managing such drivers as Vanwall's Stuart Lewis-Evans or the great Lotus World Champion Jochen Rindt, Ecclestone moved into team ownership in the 70's with Brabham. After overseeing world title successes for Nelson Piquet in the early 80's, Ecclestone then concentrated on a virtually single-handed transformation of Formula One. Wrestling power from the administrators and putting it in the hands of the teams, Ecclestone used his business acumen, allied to the hard-nosed streak that makes him such a formidable opponent, to expand Grand Prix racing's horizons in a way that none had ever imagined possible, least of all those at the heart of the sport.

The side of Ecclestone few people know about is light years away from the public persona. One of the men best placed to see it is F1's medical supremo, Professor Sid Watkins, who collaborated closely with Ecclestone in transforming driver safety in Grand Prix racing. "On the surface, he is the hard, ruthless and powerful impresario", Watkins has written. "Beneath the exterior, he's a very gentile person". Stories of his generosity abound, not least of all in the aftermath of Frank Williams' accident in 1985, when Ecclestone personally intervened to make Williams' recovery possible.

If he has little time for the sentimental traditions of Formula One, he makes plenty for the people and causes that matter to him. Small wonder that illustrious names such as Prince Albert of Monaco, Sylvester Stallone, Placido Domingo, Carlos Menem, Juan Antonio Samaranch, John Surtees, Jurgen Schrempp, Jacques Nasser, and Luca di Montezemolo combined to pay tribute to Ecclestone last year. Not many men could command, as Ecclestone does, the respect and affection of presidents and princes, musicians and movie stars, CEO's and sporting champions. As he prepares for the public flotation of the phenomenon that is modern Formula One and the creation of the largest publicly listed sporting company in the world, the greatest monument to this remarkable man is the wealth he has created - not only for himself, but also for those who follow in his dynamic wake.

Tributes to Bernie Ecclestone:

"I have known you for maybe 30 years, and I watched your arrival in Formula 1 all that time ago. I watched for your learning of it and I watched your mastering of it, and I can now sit here and applaud your vision for it because what you did for Formula One, and for all of us who participate in it, and all the fans, has been truly remarkable."
Sir Frank Williams, Managing Director, Williams Grand Prix Engineering.

" Besides all the effort you put into motor racing, the charitable works you have done are also outstanding, especially for underprivileged children. Thank you for what you have achieved for the Grand Prix sport that brings so much excitement and fascination to millions of fans over the world".
Jurgen Schrempp, Chairman, Chrysler-Daimler.

" Thank you for 50 great years full of passion, full of excitement, and full of your commitment to this sport".
Jacques Nasser, President, Ford Automotive USA.

"The fruits of your labour have been of an exceptional level, which has proven over the years an ability, a talent and a courage which are very rare in a person in this sport".
Carlos Menem, President of Argentina.

"On behalf of all your friends here in the Principality, congratulations on your 50th anniversary of involvement with motor sport racing".
His Serene Highness Prince Albert Of Monaco.

"It's an amazing achievement. What you've done is truly legendary and I am proud to be associated with you and this noble sport. When I grow up, I wanna be a Bernie".
Sylvester Stallone, Actor and Director.

"My congratulations for all you did for Formula One during the last 50 years. Today Formula 1 is a great event, maybe one of the greatest in the world of sport. Formula One is spectacular - but also very, very safe. Once again, congratulations".
Juan Antonio Samaranch, President, International Olympic Committee.

"Congratulations - you have done so much for Formula One".
Placido Domingo, Operatic Tenor.

"You have done a lot for Formula One. Thanks to you, Formula One is maybe the most important sporting event in the world."
Luca di Montezemolo, President, Ferrari.

--End of Article--

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