Bernie Ecclestone Suggests FIA Helped Ferrari Gain Formula 1 Advantage

Former Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone alleged that there has been a "long conspiracy" between FIA and Ferrari "to help the Italian team gain an advantage," according to Natasha Henry of the London TELEGRAPH. His comments came on his 87th birthday and following Liberty Media’s request that it "would rather he did not show up" in the paddock during last week’s U.S. Grand Prix. Ecclestone told Italian newspaper La Repubblica, "F1 is Ferrari, and Ferrari is F1. Helping Ferrari has always been the smartest thing to do. It was always done through the technical regulations. The teams are important to F1, but Ferrari is more than that. So many things have been done over the years that have helped Ferrari to win." Although he stated that Race Dir Charlie Whiting had "never had any part in aiding" the team, he claimed that former FIA President Max Mosley was "involved in helping to gain them an advantage." Ecclestone: "Max has often helped Ferrari, and I too wanted them to win" (TELEGRAPH, 10/28).