But definitely Don’t expect any Change back…
Although why did Bernie and The Muppets come
screaming in my Head initially?
As once again, I wasn’t able to “Back-time”
this properly, having already poonded’ out a plethora ‘O No Fender stories for
your dining consumption…
Did somebody say
dining? Was that the 12:45 reservation being called aboard my train? As think
its past my lunchtime, Hya!
Even if I could have squeezed it in? I wasn’t
going to celebrate a one Bernard Charles Ecclestone’s 95th Birthday on October
28th. For whomever will simply be Uncle Bernaughty to Mwah!
As what more can I say than Uncle Bernaughty
simply cutting a cheque for a cool $100m to the German authorities to wiggle
His way out of a Bribery trial! Whilst lest we forget? The miserable Fall-man
Sob in the morass, disgraced German Banker Gerhard Gribkowsky sat rotting in jail for 8.5 years while
Ecclestone, then a spritely 83 years young, serenely continued doing Business
as Usual, Ja Volt!
While
Formula One’s Teflon Man Slips the Noose, another ties His own Knot
Nor
should we forget that Messer Bernaughty plead guilty to tax fraud two years
ago. Agreeing to pay the British Tax authorities HS Revenues nearly $653m
British pounds for failing to properly divulge multiple trusts in 2015.
Or accidentally taking a revolver with Him to Sao
Paolo when attending the Brazilian Grand Prix with wife Fabiana. With Bernie
denying being arrested, yet paying $1,740 in Bail. Before joking that He hadn’t
had any publicity lately and thought He needed to drum up some. Along with
being mugged for His luxury Hublot watch some 15 years ago…
But don’t worry. In typical Bernie fashion, He
turned the 2010 mugging into a presumably profitable Advert’. Or at the very
least garnered His much sought after public attention He craves!
Hublot’s
tactic with the Blackey Bernie Ecclestone Watch Ad
Not to mention having recently sold His
fantastic 69 vintage F1 car collection, reportedly worth $500m to Red Bull Heir
Mark Mateschitz. Son of the late Deeter Majestic! Aka Dietrich Mateschitz
Along with reportedly just having sold the
first of His two private yachts for $17m. With the 176-foot “Petara”, named
after daughters Pietra and Tamara. Which the Ecclestone’s only used eight days
a year…
And how surreal to be 95yrs old and have a five
year old son named Abe. Along with His eldest daughter Deborah being 70; some
20-plus years older than His current wife.
Yet when reading the London Telegraph’s article
honouring His momentous birthday. Interestingly, Eccleston mentioned of His
four closest life friends; Jochen Rindt, Niki Lauda, Max Mosely and Flavio
Briatore, only one was still alive.
Ironically, it just so happens that His pal “HMS
Monogram”, Flavour Flav or simply Flavio Briatore is at the heart of
Ecclestone’s latest court case. With Felipe Massa persevering over the noxious
Crashgate affair that one could say cost Him the 2008 Formula 1 World
Championship!
As Massa is reportedly suing Ecclestone,
Formula One Management (FOM) and the FIA for $64 million Australian pounds for
breech of contract and duty. As I love how the London Telegraph always quotes
monetary amounts in Australian pounds, and not British…
Massa claims that Ecclestone’s public statement
in 2023 about how He and Arse-sumedly the deposed Max Mosley knew about
Crashgate before the end of the 2008 F1 season and chose to do nothing about
it! Would have summarily revised the results of said Singapore Grand Prix,
which future Ferrari teammate Fernando Alonso won. And thus Massa would have
been that year’s F1 Driver’s Champion instead of Lewis Hamilton winning His
maiden Driver’s crown.
As I’m most intrigued over how this turns out.
Since one could argue that Massa has a valid point. But is it worth overturning
History?
As sadly, Fernando will Always be Faster than
you Massa, Confirm…
Meanwhile, on this side of the Gory Puddle. Its
nice knowing that Liberty Media has sold out Formula 1. Awarding the 2026 U.S.
TV rights to Apple for a rumoured $140-180m per season for the next five years.
As basically Liberty Media has just effectively doubled what ESPN paid for its
latest three year contract extension between 2022-25, i.e.; $75-90m. Which was
far north of the earlier ESPN F1 rights deal of a paltry $5m per year!
Thus nobody Stateside with old fashioned Cable
TV will be able to “consume” Formula 1 on their Telie’s next year, Bastardoes!
Yeah, I know I’m not the desired target
audience. And perhaps more people stream these days vs. traditional TV?
Especially when your Cable company just adds on an extra $10 per month willy
nilly. Not Willie Vanilla; since Thars’ a whole lot of lip synching going on
over no better service, Oh Never Mind!
But I’m left wondering how is a legally blind
motorsports fan supposed to stream? And is this the end of my four decades of
faithfully watching Formula 1 on Ye Boob Tube?
As why should we be left scrambling once again
to support a sport that wasn’t even in the mainstream’s consciousness or
lexicon when I began following it religiously in 1986, Eh?
Thus, a large part of me hopes this move
backfires for Liberty Media, Err Formula 1. Since sometime the F1 bubble’s
gonna burst Stateside, and this seems the perfect catalyst!
But then again what do I know? Simply being a cellar dwelling Blogger who still lives in the 20th Century…
