Bernie Ecclestone

Lore & Background

Ecclestone was born in Suffolk and raised in Bexleyheath. He began his business career trading motorcycle parts after World War II. He started racing in Formula Three in 1949, winning multiple races at Brands Hatch driving a Cooper Mk V. After purchasing two Connaught chassis in 1958, Ecclestone entered the Monaco and British Grands Prix in Formula One as a privateer, but did not qualify at either. He then became a driver manager for Stuart Lewis-Evans and Jochen Rindt, the latter winning the World Drivers' Championship posthumously in 1970. Ecclestone purchased Brabham in 1972—which he operated for 15 years—leading the team to 22 victories, as well as two World Drivers' Championship titles with Nelson Piquet. He co-founded the Formula One Constructors' Association two years later, leading them through the FISA–FOCA war.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the FIA press conference room was thick with tension as the calendar for the upcoming season was unveiled. Bernie Ecclestone stood at the podium, his signature cigar unlit but present, scanning the room where Christian Horner sat attentively among other team principals. The announcement of a new race in Asia meant more revenue share, a critical lifeline for the young Red Bull squad still trying to prove its worth against the old guard. As the flashbulbs popped, Ecclestone knew he had just secured another year of survival for the sport's newest contender.

Reader's Guide

Ecclestone's control of the sport, which grew from his pioneering sale of television rights in the late-1970s, was primarily financial; under the terms of the Concorde Agreement in 1987, Ecclestone and his companies also controlled the administration, setup and logistics of each Formula One Grand Prix. He also founded International Sportsworld Communicators in 1996, controlling the commercial rights to the World Rally Championship until 2000. He placed fifth on the Sunday Times Rich List in 2002, and declined both a CBE and a knighthood from Elizabeth II. He co-owned association football club Queens Park Rangers with Flavio Briatore from 2007 to 2011, overseeing their promotion to the Premier League. He sold the Formula One Group to Liberty Media in 2017, subsequently being appointed as chairman emeritus and adviser to the board of directors until his departure in 2020.

Did You Know?

• 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 one of the oldest known fathers, aged 89.
• In October 2023, he was convicted of tax fraud at Southwark Crown Court, and agreed 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