Bernie Ecclestone | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ecclestone at the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix | |
| Born | Bernard Charles Ecclestone 28 October 1930 St Peter South Elmham, Suffolk, England |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1950–present |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of the Formula One Group (1987–2017) |
| Spouses | Ivy Bamford
(m. 1952; div. 1967)Fabiana Flosi (m. 2012) |
| Children | 4, including Tamara and Petra[1][2] |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  British |
| Active years | 1958 |
| Teams | Connaught |
| Entries | 2 (0 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1958 Monaco Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1958 British Grand Prix |
Bernard Charles Ecclestone (born 28 October 1930) is a British business magnate, motorsport executive and former racing driver. Widely known in journalism as the "F1 Supremo",[a] Ecclestone founded the Formula One Group in 1987, controlling the commercial rights to Formula One until 2017.
Ecclestone began his career as a racing driver and entered two Grand Prix races during the 1958 season, but failed to qualify for either of them. Later, he became manager of drivers Stuart Lewis-Evans and Jochen Rindt. In 1972, he bought the Brabham team, which he ran for 15 years.[6] As a team owner he became a member of the Formula One Constructors Association, whom he led through the FISA–FOCA war. His control of the sport, which grew from his pioneering sale of the television rights in the late 1970s, was chiefly financial; under the terms of the Concorde Agreement, Ecclestone and his companies also controlled the administration, setup and logistics of each Grand Prix,[7] thus making him one of the richest men in the United Kingdom.[8] Ecclestone was replaced by Chase Carey as chief executive of the Formula One Group in 2017. He was subsequently appointed as chairman emeritus and acted as an adviser to the board.
Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore also owned the English football club Queens Park Rangers between 2007 and 2011.[9]
Over his four-decade career as an executive in Formula One, Ecclestone was involved in several controversies. With the birth of his son in 2020, he became the sixth-oldest father in human history. In October 2023, Ecclestone was convicted of tax fraud at Southwark Crown Court, and agree to pay HM Revenue and Customs over £650 million in back taxes and penalties; he was sentenced to 17 months in prison, suspended for two years.
- ^ "Bernie Ecclestone: A Short History of F1's Billion-Dollar Brain". Bleacher Report. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
- ^ "Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | Express Yourself :: Fast life of billionaire Bernie Ecclestone". Daily Express. 16 December 2010. Archived from the original on 31 December 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
- ^ Weaver, Paul (15 May 2013). "Bernie Ecclestone F1 future under cloud as bribery charges are prepared". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ^ "Mark Webber v Sebastian Vettel clash: F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone unhappy with Red Bull's tactics". The Independent. London. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ^ Bervanakis, Maria (23 January 2012). "The fast life of 'F1 Supremo' Bernie Ecclestone". News Limited Network. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ^ Tremayne, David (1996). Formula One: A Complete Race by Race Guide (1st ed.). Avonmouth, Bristol, United Kingdom: Parragon Book Service. p. 8. ISBN 0-7525-1762-7. Retrieved 1 March 2008.
- ^ "Grand prix, grand prizes". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
- ^ "Bernie Ecclestone net worth — Sunday Times Rich List 2021". The Sunday Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
- ^ "Malaysian executive buys QPR from Ecclestone". The Washington Times. 18 August 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
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