Formula One has sought to distance itself from remarks made by its former chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, who said he would “take a bullet” for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and described him as “a first-class person”.
Ecclestone, who reportedly has been friends with Putin since the introduction of the Russian Grand Prix in 2014, said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could have been avoided if the latter’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, had done more.
Asked on ITV’s Good Morning Britain if he still regards Putin as a friend, the 91-year-old billionaire said: “I’d still take a bullet for him.
I’d rather it didn’t hurt, but if it does I’d still take a bullet, because he’s a first-class person. What he’s doing is something that he believed was the right thing he was doing for Russia.” After his appearance, a Formula One spokesperson said: “The comments made by Bernie Ecclestone are his personal views and are in very stark contrast to the position of the modern values of our sport.” Ecclestone, who in 2020 announced the birth of his fourth child, with his wife, Fabiana Flosi, 45, is no stranger to controversial remarks.