Hate him all you want, but there's no doubt Bernie Ecclestone deserves respect. The man succeeded in everything he ever attempted, and lifted motorsport in general from the dirty depths of weekend hobbyists to the high-dollar, high-tech, illustrious and glamorous spectacle it is today.
Ever since day one when he traded bikesand cars, his destiny seemed set in stone —to make it all the way to the top no matter what, and topple everyone who stood inhis way.
Even during his wheeling and dealing days, Bernie had the upper hand on all his rivals, outbuying them and outselling them every time. He had an uncanny ability to walk on to a lot and buy the whole floor of cars with a loud proclamation of a single sum of money. Stunned, without any bargaining, the seller took what he got from Bernie, and only realised that he got a raw deal when everything was long done.
Soon enough, he made his move into managing racing, after he realised he wasa rubbish driver himself and motorsport would just get him killed.
Once Bernie had got his hand into theFormula 1 pot by buying the Brabham team, he went all in and won every hand. His many moments of genius include starting his own airline for the British teams to use for the F1 races around the world, and soon afterwards clutching a monopoly on F1 cargo carrying. He commanded his own prices for Grands Prix, and if Spain wouldn't pay up, no matter, Germany would. And so on.
But his best move of all time was getting the rights to the television footage, and broadcasting the sport into every living room in the known world. With his own production team he coined millions and millions with every race, and sponsors and teams owed every penny directly to Bernie's exposure of the sport.
Governments, presidents and kings are in his pocket, vying with each other for a spot on the F1 calendar, with Bernie selecting the highest bidder at his will. Legend, maybe. Genius, definitely.
