Bernie Ecclestone says that drivers are not allowed to be characters anymore – Formula 1 news
F1 boss, Bernie Ecclestone, has stated that the drivers in the current generation of Formula 1 are not allowed to be characters anymore.
Ecclestone stated that these days, Red Bull’s world champion, Sebastian Vettel, is the driver who has become a yardstick.
“Times are simply different today and that doesn't only go for drivers. The whole environment is different. We have many more dos and don'ts than back in the old days,” Ecclestone said. “Remember when Sebastian swore on the podium? He immediately got into
trouble. If that had been James Hunt or Graham Hill, they wouldn't have cared - and nobody else would have cared. Look at the television culture today - the f-word has become part of normal conversation. I don't think that Sebastian's spontaneous expression
was a big deal for a lot of people - just for a few people. Complete nonsense!”
He added that this means the difference between the past and the present is that now the drivers are not allowed to become characters but rather represent as a positive symbol for F1 all over the world.
He said that as far as Vettel is concerned, he will have more charisma as his confidence grows through his success over the coming years. He said that the young driver is confident presently and will certainly learn about this particular issue in the future.
Ecclestone is of the opinion that a large part of charisma is not ego but self-esteem which many people fail to understand.
A certain issue had arisen after Vettel and Lotus F1’s Kimi Raikkonen used swear words while on the podium ceremony after the Abu Dhabi GP. FIA was very quick in giving out a warning to both drivers saying that their actions had been unacceptable and that
all drivers must be careful on future occasions.
Vettel, taking notice of the warning immediately, published an apology on Red Bull’s official website stating that his actions were unintentional.
The media and the fans of the sport had over exaggerated the whole issue. Most of them were of the opinion that youngsters look up to these drivers and they should be careful of their actions.
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