Bernie Ecclestone rips F1 owners with scathing 'Formula Hollywood' jibe
Bernie Ecclestone rips F1 owners with scathing 'Formula Hollywood' jibe
Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has offered a scathing opinion on the direction of travel of the sport under current owners Liberty Media.
Ecclestone relinquished control to Liberty in a $5 billion deal back in 2017 and since then the sport has progressed in a very different direction.
Ecclestone was never a strong believer in the power of social media, but since Liberty's introduction, F1's social audience has been one of the fastest-growing of any sport in the world.
Teams and drivers regularly take part in scheduled events designed to boost their own profiles and that of F1 as a whole, and with the success of Netflix series Drive to Survive, the overall global interest has never been higher.
READ MORE: F1 boasts $2.5bn revenue amid continued popularity boom
But speaking to F1 Insider, Ecclestone is far from convinced with the way in which the sport is moving towards an Americanised approach; this year will see three US races, in Austin, Miami and Las Vegas, for the very first time.
He said: “What is doing well in the United States is not doing so well in Europe, and vice versa. Germany is missing a great driver, but that's not the only thing.
"I think that the Germans are not so easily put away. F1 is more and more made for the American market. It's becoming more and more like Formula Hollywood."
Germany, an institution within Formula 1, has no race this season as the US expansion, including an expanded calendar in the Middle East, has squeezed out some traditional venues of the past.
Ecclestone added: “The race in Las Vegas this year should be the crown jewel, but I think the Germans like to see a sporting competition and not such a sham. The balance between show and sport no longer fits.”
READ MORE: March's key F1 diary dates
Related news
Ex-F1 boss SENTENCED after pleading guilty to £400 million fraud
Bernie Ecclestone: The life and times of controversial former F1 supremo
Former F1 chief explains difference between Hamilton and Russell
Ecclestone gives bold prediction on Massa's chances of overturning Hamilton title
Most read
FIA take action after Verstappen track limits mishap
F1 News Today: FIA make changes as Mercedes receive double penalty and Horner curses bad luck
Red Bull to replace driver at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Stroll issues Alonso Aston Martin contract verdict
Horner takes aim at Kravitz with savage jibe at Sky Sports pundit
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Nyck De Vries
- Liam Lawson
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2023
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023
- Grand Prix of Australia 2023
- Grand Prix of China 2023
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2023
- Miami Grand Prix 2023
- Qatar Airways Gran Premio Del Made In Italy E Dell'emilia Romagna 2023
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2023
- AWS Gran Premio de España 2023
- Grand Prix du Canada 2023
- Grand Prix of Austria 2023
- Aramco Grand Prix of Great Britain 2023
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2023
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2023
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2023
- Grand Prix of Italy 2023
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2023
- Grand Prix of Japan 2023
- Qatar Grand Prix 2023
- Grand Prix of the United States 2023
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2023
- Rolex Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2023
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2023
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860