Formula One has criticized Bernie Ecclestone for the controversial comments he made in a British TV interview on Thursday morning.
Formula One has criticized Bernie Ecclestone for the controversial comments he made in a British TV interview on Thursday morning.
Speaking on the program , da , Ecclestone described Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, as a "first-class" person for whom he would "take a bullet."
He also defended Nelson Piquet after the three-time world champion used a racial term when talking about Lewis Hamilton.
Putin has come under worldwide condemnation since Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine in February.
When asked about his relationship with Putin and whether they remain friends, Ecclestone replied, "I would still take a bullet for him. He is a first-class person and is doing what he believed was the right thing for Russia."
"Unfortunately, he is similar to many businessmen, he is certainly like me...We make mistakes occasionally, and when that happens, you need to do the best you can to correct them."
As for Piquet's comments about Hamilton, the former F1 chief executive came out in defense of the Brazilian.
"I don't know what you can do about stopping people from saying something that, at that moment, may seem appropriate to them and may not be in reality," Ecclestone said.
"You can't start making rules about what people can and can't say, and I don't know what kind of reaction he is expecting." He added that he was "surprised" that Hamilton didn't "let it go."
In response, F1 released a short statement condemning Ecclestone's words.
"The comments made by Bernie Ecclestone are his personal views and a stark contrast to the position of the modern values of our sport," the statement said.
Ecclestone was removed from his position as F1 CEO in January 2017 after Liberty Media bought the category. Earlier this year, he was arrested in Brazil for illegally carrying a gun.