Ferrari identified as being the only team that can "save" F1 by ex-F1 chief executive

Since Bernie Ecclestone is no longer the true or hidden mastermind of Formula 1, the resilient Briton continues, albeit sporadically and for reasons not always sports-related or commendable, to make headlines. In the F1 world, he has carved out the curious role of an “oracle.” Bernie, born in 1930, is one of those men made from a mold that perhaps no longer exists. One might think he will never die, much like Clint Eastwood and Queen Elizabeth II. It’s best to overlook his political views, a “varied” private life, including a new child a few years ago.

His professional life has been anything but smooth, with both defeats and successes (an active balance that has made him one of the richest men in the world). In his customary and now traditional Christmas card for 2023 (sent to a select few), used to satirize and criticize the F1 circus, he wrote: “Sorry, but I couldn’t think of anything exciting or strange that happened this year to illustrate on my usual card.

So, I can wish you a happy year-end, hoping that 2024 brings you all that is good and a more stable world. Bernie.” A clear accusation against a world (that of F1 under Liberty Media) increasingly distant from his and, above all, quite boring in the last year (ask the spectators of F1 races, excluding the young fans mentioned by Domenicali). But let’s return to the oracle’s role. You should know that in the ancient world, especially in the Greek and later the Roman world, superstition prevailed.

Sometimes, men would go to an oracle located often in distant areas to seek guidance from the gods on a matter concerning them—business, money, wars, and so on. In Greece, the most famous was the Oracle of Delphi. In the Italian world, there was the Sibyl of Cumae. We don’t know if the inquirers found benefit from the oracle’s answers. We know that the priests earned a lot with the offerings. But let’s go further. The oracle never gave “exhaustive” answers but deliberately ambiguous, cryptic, interpretable ones.

And the reasons are evident. Bernie is not exactly an oracle, but the things he says often do not happen, and maybe then he revisits them and explains better, saying that he was still right. In short, you should never think that what he is telling you is the “true” truth, and you should try to go a bit beyond, dig a little to find the hidden meaning, assuming there is one and that it’s not just another joke, a tactic often employed by Ecclestone. Now, onto his latest oracle prediction, given to Bild’s microphones:

Ecclestone crowns Ferrari as the only savior of F1
“Red Bull has replaced all the weak links within the team. Now they have the best team, the best design, the best car, and the best driver. Chris Horner has done an excellent job. But if there’s anyone who can hinder them, it’s Ferrari. Absolutely not Mercedes, and not just because of the car.” Bernie Ecclestone then explained that Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, for different reasons, have disappointed him and that the only added value is the reigning world champion, who would win the title even in Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren.

Now, since despite his venerable age, we don’t believe Bernie is suffering from senile dementia, we’re more inclined to think of a “clever move” or one of his usual pranks. We hope he’s right, of course. We fear that this time, the oracle has made a glaring mistake or simply played a joke on us poor Ferrari fans. Time will tell…