Bernie Ecclestone
Bernard Charles Ecclestone (born 28 October 1930) is a British former business magnate. He is the former chief executive of the Formula One Group, which manages Formula One motor racing and controls the commercial rights to the sport. As such, he was commonly described in journalism as the 'F1 Supremo'.
Bernie Ecclestone | |
|---|---|
Ecclestone at the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix | |
| Born | Bernard Charles Ecclestone 28 October 1930 St Peter South Elmham, Suffolk, England |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Years active | 1950–present |
| Title | Chairman Emeritus of Formula One Group (2017–2020) |
| Spouses | Ivy Bamford
(m. 1952, divorced)Fabiana Flosi (m. 2012) |
| Children | 4; including Tamara and Petra |
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. As a team owner he became a member of the Formula One Constructors Association.
His control of the sport, which grew from his pioneering sale of the television rights in the late 1970s, was chiefly financial; however, under the terms of the Concorde Agreement, Ecclestone and his companies also controlled the administration, setup and logistics of each Grand Prix, thus making him one of the richest men in the United Kingdom.
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.
In October 2023, he was convicted of tax fraud by false representation, and had to pay HM Revenue and Customs nearly £653m in back tax and penalties. He was sentenced to 17 months in prison, suspended for two years.
Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore also owned the English football club Queens Park Rangers between 2007 and 2011.