The power of Bernie Ecclestone - Part II

I’ve received some private email in recent days, taking me to task for giving Bernie Ecclestone too much credit for Michael Schumacher’s decision to return to Formula One next year.

“Michael was hounded into retirement and really didn’t want to quit in the first place,” one person wrote.

“He never really left,” wrote another. “He was at every test and every race in the three years he didn’t drive. I’m surprised he didn’t come back sooner.”

Valid points. But the timing of his return is what’s of interest to me.

F1 is coming off a dreadful year. Probably the worst scandal in the history of the sport came to light this year (the race-fix) and manufacturers and sponsors were announcing their withdrawal – it seemed – almost every second day.

F1 needed a big boost and Schumacher’s comeback announcement for 2010 probably did the trick.

How much did Bernie Ecclestone really have to do with it?

I suggest lots – and here’s some indirect evidence.

In 1992, one of the giants of the sport shocked everybody by winning the world championship and then quitting. Nigel Mansell left Formula One to race in North America with CART – where, incidentally, he won the 1993 championship.

In 1994, Mansell was in his second season of driving for the Newman-Haas team in the CART series. He was its biggest star (although there were many - the Andrettis, Unser Jr., Tracy, et al), the series was at the height of its popularity in North America and challenging F1 for popularity around the world.

In May, F1’s biggest star, Ayrton Senna, was killed at Imola. A second driver was also killed and another seriously injured. F1 was on its heels.

 Within weeks, Mansell was suddenly back in F1, driving for Williams. He returned to F1 full-time with McLaren in 1995 but then – almost as suddenly and almost as mysteriously – left the sport for good after only two races.

Here is a guy who won back-to-back major championships in '92 and '93 and then, within 18 months, was gone forever.

How very strange.

In the December issue of Motor Sport magazine, journalist Simon Taylor asked Mansell about the circumstances surrounding his sudden departure from CART and his short-lived return to F1.

“I’m not permitted to talk about that,” said Mansell in the article. “Let’s just say that, among all the power brokers, I was a small pawn in a big game. . . There was a lot of politics behind it, and one day the truth will come out.”

He then goes on to tell Taylor this (and the real reading here is between the lines . . .):

“I still had contracts that bound me until 1997 and prevented me from driving anything else. I’m a simple person – all I ever wanted to do was drive a racing car fast. Then the lawyers show you that even when you think you’ve agreed something, that’s not exactly what was meant. . .

“When they can buy out three years of contracts in America out from under your feet, and you turn up to do your job, and your lawyers tell you that anybody can be put on gardening leave if they’re paid in full, and you can’t do anything about it – well, it’s not the way to finish.”
        If Bernie Ecclestone can - apparently - cut short the career of one of the most determined and charismatic racing drivers of our lifetime, then getting Michael Schumacher back into the cockpit would be, for him, a piece of cake.

 

Comments

[Bill Taylor]

Mansell may (or may not) be a simple person but Schumacher is anything but. He might be a piece in a big game but I very much doubt if he's a small pawn. And I stick to my belief that not even Ecclestone could have inveigled him back if Schumacher didn't believe 2010 could be another championship year for him.

[Lyle Walter]

Here's the book to read if you have any doubts about Bernie's influence in not only F1 but all of the FIA motor sports!

Bernie's Game by Terry Lovell. Published in 2003 but history repeats it self...

[LESS RICE]

What you saying is preposterous & (almost) unbelievable! Bernie arranging for Mansell's but-out & return, then his shafting out of F1 again ? .. But when you present it that the real intended shaftee was CART .. Now that makes sense! Yeah, I can believe it, but to do so indicates a new low even for Bernie. Or maybe just a window on how low Bernie really is. Pretty despicable.

[G. Blaney]

Mansell was less than impressive in his final days in F1, finally parking the very expensive "Big Mac" while it was in fully working order, claiming that it was undriveable. A lot of whether a driver gets into a car has to do with with the ability and motivation of the driver. If the combination of desire, the car, the team and the commercial aspects can come together then Bernie can make it happen. If not then Bernie is smart enough to know that there is no point in forcing the issue. In Schumacher's case I think Bernie was a catalyst who had an idea and once Schumacher bought into it Bernie might have had a role in greasing the wheel here and there.

[allenparkpete]

I've been watching this thread and the previous one for a week now. I can't hold back any longer. Obviously, Norris aced his creative writing classes back in the day, but if anything it was Massa's crash that brought Schumacher his opportunity to re-enter the sport or at least hint at a comeback. Wonder if Bernie loosened a bolt on Barichello's Brawn to make it happen? Grab that one Norris....now that would take some real creative writing.

One could imagine if Schumacher had been 100% ready to go late last season (neck and all), then he would've been cruising in a Ferrari. Ecclestone would've had nothing to do with that. And if the flying Cement Post had not transferred to McLaren, you would've seen Schumacher in a third Ferrari courtesy of Jean Todt, the new head of the FIA.

The lastest rumor is Brother Ralf driving for Peter Windsor. He's the perfect driver to bring up the back of the grid and spin out on Lap 2. Getting that safety car out early makes for an exciting race later on. Brother Ralf would be truly gifted that way.

Norris, if you want to write a truly credible story...follow up on what a previous poster said about Mansell and CART and how Ecclestone systematically (and succesfully) submarined that series along with the France family.

[John Sinclair]

Norris,
You're absolutly spot on about Bernie, his powers can never be underestimated, both within and outside racing.

Had to laugh about a post on one of the F1 websites about Michael having to further explain to the disappointed Tifosi about his Mercedes decision. After the shabby treatment at Ferrari and essentially being forced to retire, I'd say it's just rewards.