In an interview with Graham Bensinger in Baku, for In Depth with Graham Bensinger, former Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone discussed why he admires how US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin go about their business.
In the case of Trump, it is the way the American goes through with an idea, regardless of whether it is actually possible, that Ecclestone warms to.
“He makes decisions – which he can’t always complete by the look of it – but they should let him complete them.”
There was even a time when Ecclestone discussed running a Formula 1 event with Trump, prior to him being voted in as President, but Trump’s insistence on being in charge of everything and wanting his brand plastered all over the place, was too much for the 87-year-old to work with.
“He wanted to be completely in charge, which is not the way we operate. I like to feel I’m in charge…
“I mean he wanted Trump everywhere. And I said to the guy that’s negotiating, ‘We better remind him because he hasn’t asked for Trump to go on the toilet paper…’”
Ecclestone’s backing of Putin has often been widely publicised in the past, and he jumped at the chance to entertain the Russian President at the countries yearly grand prix event. The 87-year-old still stays true to the words he uttered about the man he considers a friend, that Putin is the man that he and anybody, would want to have by their side in any negotiation.
“Yeah… He’s the guy that says he’s gonna do something and gets on and does it… He’s a handshake guy who will deal with you and you know what’s gonna happen.”
