Ecclestone’s genius shines with Schumacher return

The guy who engineered Jacques Villeneuve’s move to Formula One back in 1996 was Bernie Ecclestone.

Ever the marketing man, Ecclestone was worried that people were losing interest in F1 because Michael Schumacher was dominating (17 victories in 33 races in ‘94 and ‘95), Nigel Mansell had lost his magic after going off to race in CART and the only other driver of note, Damon Hill, had the charisma of a rug.

Ecclestone knew he needed a star – someone who had speed plus style. He needed someone flamboyant. And, hey, if he happened to have a name that would capture the hearts of F1 fans worldwide, so much the better.

Enter Jacques Villeneuve.

Fast forward to 2009-2010.

The new World Champion, Jenson Button, is a pretender. The World Champion once-removed, Lewis Hamilton, fell flat on his face when it came time to defend his title but seemed to have lost his luster in any event. The World Champion twice-removed, Kimi Raikkonen, has been exiled to Elba (otherwise known as the World Rally Championship).

The challengers? Only one, really. Sebastien Vettel is a nice young guy – and that’s the problem. He’s too nice. There’s no swagger, no arrogance about him. Sure, he’s a good driver and will probably be great before he’s through, but that doesn’t sell tickets and an impresario like Ecclestone knows it.

In Bernie’s mind, it was 1994-95 all over again. The sport would be in trouble in 2010 unless a star was born – or re-born. Someone with speed and style. Someone flamboyant. Someone with a legendary name.

Someone like Michael Schumacher.

Now, the industry that is Formula One is dog-eat-dog, give-and-take unlike just about any other. The sport’s relationship with the media is particularly fascinating. Report the right thing and you’re in everybody’s good books. Report (or say) the wrong thing and you’ll find yourself on Elba with Kimi.

In short, reporters who cover F1 as their beat get access to people and events at Bernie’s pleasure and, as a result, are beholden to him.

When Felipe Massa was injured, Bernie – ever the opportunist – saw his chance. A phone call here, an email there and the return-of-Michael-Schumacher media campaign began in earnest. It is no coincidence that it started en masse and has never let up. Sure, there were bumps in the road – a motorcycle neck injury kept Michael from making his return with Ferrari – but there has literally not been a day since when there hasn’t been a "will he?" or "won’t he?" story coming from this paper or that Internet site.

Schumacher’s manager would say this one day, Ferrari’s management would say that the next. Michael, himself, would say maybe – "but I'm definitely thinking about it." Niki Lauda and Keke Rosberg would chime in with their two cents.

All this has been no accident. You can bet your bottom dollar that Bernie Ecclestone has been pulling the strings on this story from the start. Michael Schumacher’s official announcement today that he will drive for Mercedes GP in 2010 is the culmination of his efforts.

The man is a genius. Formula One has been saved once again.

Comments

[John Sinclair]

Norris,
You're spot on regarding the Schumacher return. But you have to admit, 2010 will certainly be an exciting F1 year. Just think, if Kimi had stayed on, we'd have 5 previous champs battling it out!

[Bill Taylor]

And yet Ecclestone can also be so destructive. Is F1 better off with him or without him? One thing's for sure, the bookies are going to be offering better odds on who'll be runner-up in the driver's championship than who will actually win it. Could 2010 be the year that Schumacher wins every race?

[DJL]

You have succinctly described why Ecclestone needs to go. He's all about the control and the show, and doesn't care about anything else. He's slime; a used car salesman in fancy clothing. It's no wonder that he and Briatore are such close friends.

[G. Blaney]

Say what you will about Bernie, F1 needs someone like him that can think outside the box a bit. Nobody else would have been in a position to think about bringing Schumacher back, never mind actually getting it done. It sounds like even Schumacher himself hadn't thought about the possibility of making a return until Luca started badgering him in August. The only other boss in F1 that seemed to have any sort of marketing sense was, ironically, Briatore. Not that it is a bad thing that team bosses keep their noses to the racing grindstone.

In any case the management-by-committee that will surely slide into place after Bernie is gone will make us all wish that Bernie could in fact live forever. F1 will be a little more corporate and predictable and a touch less exciting without him.

[Aldo Reggiani]

hhhmmm....Fernando Alonso's name is not mentioned as a challenger to Schumacher in this article......I think Alonso in a competitive Ferrari will more than give a run to the title......just like in 2005 and 2006.......

[DJL]

There is no doubt that F1 needs a brilliant marketing person. And there is no doubt that bringing back Schumacher will create all sorts of buzz. But over the last few years, Bernie has been less than brilliant as a marketer. Yes he's expanded F1 in Asia and the Middle-East, anybody with half a brain saw that as an obvious move. But at the same time he's also been at the helm when France, Canada and USA all dropped off the schedule. The simple fact is that Bernie seems more interested in flash than substance. Schumacher's return will give F1 a short term boost. But what about long term growth? When companies like BMW, Toyota, and Honda all feel that having an F1 isn't worth the money, that's a pretty clear indicator that the impact and appeal of the sport is declining.

[Edward Palys]

I think too much is attributed to Bernie. The man ceratinly sold F1 to the Asian market and anywhere where there's money available. But, to say he is the engineer behind the latest comeback of Schumacher is a bit far stretched. Mercedes is the group behind the whole deal, as F1 will be the advertising block for them, just like for Ferrari. What better combination to have for a Mercedes comeback than Ross Brawn and Michael Schumacher together again, just like they were at Benetton, then Ferrari. Besides, F1 today is all about money, just like the all-powerful and sleezy Bernie Ecclestone.