Bernie Ecclestone interview for gq-magazine.co.uk:
You started as a car salesman, then a driver, a driver-manager, a team owner and then you ran Formula One. Was there always a grand plan?
Bernie Ecclestone: “No. Never. I used to deal pens in Petticoat Lane on Sundays, then motorcycles when I worked at the gas board, then used cars. I’m a dealer. Every situation I’ve faced, I’ve faced as a dealer. You have to know the price of what you’re selling and you’ve got to work out the price someone is willing to pay for it. You’re selling to people who are very smart. They’re wide awake. So you have to be wide awake too – look for an opportunity and take it. But I’m also a handshake guy. Around the world people knew that, dealing with me, a handshake was enough. If you look at contracts, as soon as the ink is dry you’ve got a lawyer trying to find a way out of it.”
Do you have a management style? You’re one of the most successful businessmen and dealmakers in history, but I bet you’ve never read a single book on management or economics. What is your secret?
Bernie Ecclestone: “My secret is my handshake. People know they can trust me to do the best for everyone involved. People like to talk a lot. It’s always better to do something than talk about it. If you’re going to say you’re going to do something, do it. I hate it when people say they’re going to do something, then don’t. I don’t bother [with them] again.”
Who did you most admire? Was there anyone in your Formula One dealings who felt like a true match?
Bernie Ecclestone: “Mr [Enzo] Ferrari. He was very special and he helped me a lot. He taught me that the sport is on the table and the business is under it. Formula One is Ferrari and Ferrari is Formula One. It’s that simple. Colin [Chapman] was another. He was a genius. A very quick driver too.”
Leave a Reply