F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone said that he believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin "should be put in charge of Europe," Donald Trump would make "an excellent" U.S. president and immigration has "brought no benefits whatsoever" to the U.K., according to Asthana & Mason of the London GUARDIAN. Ecclestone was "quickly trending on Twitter" after he claimed that women would "never be taken seriously" in his sport and revealed that he was "100% an outer" in the European Union referendum debate. In a conversation with WPP CEO Martin Sorrell at Advertising Week Europe in London, Ecclestone said, "I think Europe has become less important, full stop." Sorrell asked if he "meant western Europe, eastern Europe, or both, and pointed out that Ecclestone was a great admirer of Putin and what he had done on the continent." Ecclestone replied, "He should be running Europe." Sorrell then asked, "He should be in Brussels running Europe?" Ecclestone said, "No, we should get rid of Brussels and he should just be in charge. He does what he says he's gonna do, he gets the job done." Sorrell then turned the conversation to the U.S. primaries, asking Ecclestone "what he thought" of the Republican favorite, Trump. Ecclestone said, "I think he’d be fantastic [as president]. I’m sure he’s much more flexible than most of them" (GUARDIAN, 4/19).
WOMEN DRIVERS: The BBC reported Ecclestone said that female drivers would "not physically be able to drive a F1 car quickly." However, he does think an increasing number of women "will take F1 chief executive positions in the future." He added, "Women are more competent, and they don't have massive egos." Williams Deputy Team Principal Claire Williams dismissed claims women "lack the strength to cope with the demands of the sport," and said, "We have 30 percent less muscle so we have to work hard, but there's no reason why females can't get strong enough to race an F1 car." She launched "an initiative to increase the number of women in motorsport and said there were lots of opportunities in F1 besides driving" (BBC, 4/19). In London, Laura Hughes reported a spokesperson for U.K. PM David Cameron said, "It sounds like he has set out a range of different views, so I can't give a one-word-fits-all answer. As the prime minister has said, people will express different views on Britain's membership of the EU as they go through the debate. The important thing is we are giving everyone of voting age their own say and they need to make their mind up based on facts" (TELEGRAPH, 4/19).
ON IMMIGRATION: THE DRUM's Jennifer Faull reported Advertising Week Europe is "no stranger to controversial figureheads." But perhaps "the most outspoken to date" will be Ecclestone's comments, which led to him "trending on Twitter and on the receiving end of a few choice words from fellow delegates." On immigration, Ecclestone said, "[Immigrants] have not made a contribution." To this comment Sorrell, a second-generation immigrant, made an "impassioned comparison" to the situation in Syria with Nazi Germany, and questioned if it is not important that Britain welcomes immigrants, later adding, "I'm emotional about it because of my grandparents." A "seemingly blank stare" from Ecclestone led Sorrell to say, "Well, we haven't got this off to a great start" (THE DRUM, 4/19).
