Max Mosley believes Ecclestone should've stayed as CEO

Former FIA president Max Mosley thinks that Liberty Media made a mistake when they ousted Bernie Ecclestone as Chief Executive Officer of Formula One.

Liberty completed their takeover deal last month and immediately replaced Ecclestone with Chase Carey. However Mosley, who has a close friendship with Ecclestone says that they should have kept him on.

 “I think it may be quite difficult (for Liberty Media). I think what he (Ecclestone) was brilliant at was dealing with the promoters and the organisers and the whole structure of the championship. For somebody new to come in without all the personal relationships it may be difficult.”

“If it had been me I’d have kept him on doing the things that he’s demonstrably very good at and concentrated my efforts on doing the things that up to now have not been done, like interactive television, virtual reality, social media, the internet and all the rest of it. All of that’s been slightly neglected in Formula One and that’s the sort of thing that Liberty will probably be very good at.”

Mosley was asked what Ecclestone's legacy would be upon leaving the sport, to which Mosley replied the racing series as a whole.

“In a way Formula One is his legacy. People tend to forget that probably the potential in the World Rally Championship is, and always has been, greater than Formula 1. Arguably also long distance racing like Le Mans. But Bernie came into Formula 1, and it was big when he came in, and he’s made it so much bigger."

Fergal Walsh