Time waits for no man
Sports Editor Tom Hollingworth on the future of Formula One
The word of Formula One doesn’t really do it for me. No disrespect to the drivers who risk life and limb, or to the engineers constantly pushing the boundaries of motor technology, but – as the Grand Prix circus caravan progresses around its twenty or so venues every year – the first thing that springs to my mind is ‘business’, not sport.
In his time, Bernie Ecclestone has taken what was originally a shade above an amateurish diversion into one of the biggest money-making franchises in the world of sport. Without doubt, this is a feat that deserves huge recognition and a place in history. For good or ill, I can think of no other sports-related operation that deals with governments the world over in a similar, high-handed, fashion. Even in his ninth decade, Bernie rules.
However, perhaps not for much longer.
Here’s an excellent article by Daniel Johnson on the website of the Daily Telegraph today that previews the potential future – FORMULA ONE