F1 News: Bernie Ecclestone Sides With Putin While Disagreeing With F1 Choice To Cancel Grand Prix
Nearly a day after the F1 confirms the cancellation of the Russian Grand Prix, former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin as Russia continues to invade Ukraine.
During an interview with Times Radio yesterday, the old F1 titan has surprisingly defended Putin despite the majority of the world slating his recent actions.
Ecclestone has given his opinion on whether the Russian GP should go ahead:
“I think it depends an awful lot on exactly what the state is between Ukraine and Russia. It’s not going to make any difference if there is a race in Russia to anything else that has happened in the world.
“I suppose it is the people who are engaged in the event who would decide on it, because maybe other people think it was the right thing for Russia to do. So how can anyone else judge exactly what is happening today?”
He continued:
“As a person I found him very straightforward and honourable. He did exactly what he said he was going to do without any arguments.”
The presenter of Times Radio argued that Putin had not been honourable after promising he wouldn’t invade Ukraine, in which Ecclestone simply responded: “circumstances change, don’t they”.
He continued to argue that the Russian GP could have gone ahead even with 2021 world champion Max Verstappen not taking part, adding that it’s up to the FIA and F1 to decide whether they go ahead with the race or not.
