F1

Ecclestone wants grid passes for "really glamorous ladies…"

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  • #293526

    A fascinating tweet doing the rounds this morning shows a letter from Bernie Ecclestone in May 2013 reminding then-Caterham team principal Cyril Abiteboul about the issuing of passes to get on the grid:

    https://twitter.com/Varennesports/status/572984383528824833

    If the text is a bit small for you to read, here’s what it says:

    Dear Cyril

    Please be reminded that where possible, grid access passes should be used for celebrities or people of note or as always, really glamorous ladies.

    This is not so much a sporting matter but part of the show business of Formula One.

    Best wishes

    Bernie

    It looks like the letter was posted on Twitter by Richard St Clair-Quentin who was Caterham’s commercial manager.

    Bernie Ecclestone letter to Cyril Abiteboul, 3rd May 2013

    #293533
    Giggsy11
    Participant

    Conspiracy Theory: As we all know Bernie is getting on in years and there has been talk about his replacement. Is he trying to take F1 down with him or is he just senile? He hasn’t said or done one good thing for the sport for the last few years its miles past the ridiculous phase and entering tedious now. I’m surprised that there hasn’t been louder calls for him to be replaced yet.

    #293539
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    For any normal person, they want to get to retirement age (i.e. mid-late 60s) having earned enough for a comfortable retirement. And then relax, travel and enjoy the good things in life. Bernie is now in his 80s and has more money than any one person can possibly spend in a lifetime.

    Yet still he ‘works’ in F1. This is only because he is so addicted to power, he can’t give it up. Every person in power needs to be challenged, as no one person knows everything. He’s reached a point where he thinks that every crazy idea that comes out of his head is pure gold – purely because it came from him. But Bernie is too feared to be challenged by anyone.

    Thing is, every autocratic leader comes crashing down somehow, somewhere. With Bernie, it’s just a matter of when.

    #293541

    It won’t be long before this becomes a headline.

    And when that happens Bernie can make a rubbish-for-F1 decision wiothout anybody noticing, as has happened quite a few times :P

    #293545
    Maciek
    Participant

    Besides the pathetically outdated (though unfortunately probably not outmoded) sexism, what strikes me is that Bernie may yet be even more cynical than this – I get the feeling that when he talks of showbusiness it’s not even so much for audiences, but for attracting yet more outlying petty kingdoms to give him mountains of cash to host a race. Mark my words, Bernie is rich enough to be gradually replacing failing vital organs with bio-technology – soon he will be an indestructible cyborg bent on ever more maniacal schemes to improve the show – his first decree shall be to mandate that the cars be fitted with sidecars carrying glamorous ladies who’ll giggle away while trackside sprinklers make them look even more shiny…

    #293562
    Nick
    Participant

    Not surprising, as it’s only been a few years he said ‘women should be dressed in white with other kitchen appliances’. Though, from a socio-cultural point of view, they might be logical in the old mind of Ecclestone (let’s not forget the man is 83, a product of another time), it is totally unacceptable from a man in his position. Sadly, still unlikely to have any consequences.

    Someone should send this to all the feminist groups on Tumblr, maybe that way F1 can reach the youth demographic. In an even less positive way than it is doing already, at that. Luckily they won’t be consuming F1 in a future near enough for Bernie to be alive, so why should he care? Someone else’s problem.

    #293569

    AAAaaand….It’s gone!

    #293570
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    still available link

    #293572

    Disappeared but not denied:

    Sportsmail contacted Ecclestone’s office for confirmation but they declined to comment.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-2979770/Bernie-Ecclestone-reveals-Formula-One-grid-passes-given-celebrities-really-glamorous-ladies.html

    #293573
    barkun
    Participant

    I was quite prophetic when I suggested that grid-girls should drive for double points instead of the real drivers

    #293575
    Asanator
    Participant

    @npf1 ‘women should be dressed in white with other kitchen appliances’ ….

    Kitchen Appliance

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