Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Bernie Ecclestone slams protests over end of season: ‘a disaster’

Bernie Ecclestone sees the sporting achievements of new world champion Max Verstappen and opponent Lewis Hamilton dwarfed by the fact that the teams wanted to have a lasting impact on race management.

“It’s a joke, everyone hears, that team bosses like Toto Wolff are trying to influence race management decisions during the race. And how Red Bull feels compelled to defend against that influence,” the Briton said.

Ecclestone also does not sympathize with Mercedes’ later protest: “If I were the president of Mercedes, I would have told him again. Mercedes is the oldest car brand in the world with an incredible tradition. But the star is being scraped as massive as the result of the protest.”

Ecclestone, who was F1’s managing director until 2017, sees Verstappen as a well-deserved world champion. Not only would the Dutchman have victories on the track, but also Hamilton and Mercedes. “The Hamilton team did their best, also in the media, to shake Max. You can almost talk about bullying,” said Ecclestone.

(SID)