Billionaire former boss of Formula 1 Bernie Ecclestone was more like a cartoon gangster than a CEO, Plagued with controversy, Bernie plead guilty to fraud in the UK for hiding overseas assets, was arrested in Brazil for bringing a loaded handgun onto a airplane, and defrauded Felipe Massa out of his rightful 2008 F1 World Championship. He also keeps some questionable company, such as Vladimir Putin, seen above, putting his coat on chilly Bernie’s shoulders at the Russian GP.
But he’s not such a bad guy. During a recent podcast Sky F1 reporter Natalie Pinkham revealed that Bernie Ecclestone stepped in to stick up for her when a photographer tried to publish an up-skirt photo. A photographer caught the moment Pinkham’s skirt blew up in the wind, and the photo was set to go to print in The Sun before Ecclestone stepped in.
“I told Bernie Ecclestone about this, and he phoned the cameraman – the photographer – and said, ‘If that goes to print, your pass won’t work at the next grand prix. You don’t stitch Natalie up like that.”
– Natalie Pinkham to the Style DNA podcast
Bernie Ecclestone is an old guy with out-of-touch ideas. He publicly criticized Formula 1 for its decision to remove his beloved ‘grid girls‘ from races, the tall pretty ladies in the revealing outfits that would hang out on the grid before F1 races. He called the move “prudish” and believed the models were a glamorous part of the show. Who knew Bernie was also a feminist, sticking up for women like Pinkham. Wonder what Putin thinks of his old pal now?
Was he being a feminist or flexing for the photographer? Regardless of motive, the end result was good.
I think he is a dirtbag. Only did something good if it benefits him, for sure. You make a good point. See, now Natalie owes him a favour, right? He could ask her to suppress a bad story if one came out.
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I often felt that Bernie Ecclestone lasted so long because he knew where the bodies were buried. Not a figure of speech in his case. Actual bodies.
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An outright gangster. And I have always loved loved LOVED that picture of Putin puttin’ his coat on Bernie.