Sir Jackie Stewart has poured a whole heap of scorn onto Bernie Ecclestone's management of the sport in light of F1's rocky passage through the financial crisis.
In an interview with The Times newspaper, Stewart lambasted Ecclestone's continued running of F1's commercial dealings, and went as far as to sound like he was calling for some sort of bloodless coup. On Bernie's achievements, Stewart conceded he has helped the sport grow to it's current stature, but added that "he now rules and nobody is up for taking on a battle with him. Bernie has such power and influence that he could suffocate almost any performer who would dare to suggest that there must be change".
The three time former world champion goes on to moan about the lack of a logical successor to Bernie, which is a move in no way designed to hint at people that he'd like the job, and also criticises the close links between Ecclestone and the FIA President Max Mosley. "He [Ecclestone] has been so used to total control that if you look at his structure you have to ask yourself 'is there a successor?' and you would say 'no'. That is wrong. The commercial reality has to be recognised ... and there has be continuity that the ageing process makes necessary.”"
"They haven't looked after the house properly and the foundations are built on just this two-man working relationship," he continued, "This has evoked concern and apprehension on the part of those involved in the sport. When Max Mosley had the scandal erupt around him, how many team principals or owners spoke out? None."
Sir Jackie also waded into the ongoing spat between Luca di Montazemolo and Bernie regarding the apportion of revenue and investment in the sport. "The financial distribution of Formula One appears to have been sorted out by two people who have directed it in whichever way they have seen fit. Although this has been a significant benefit in some ways, it has also hurt the sport because the balance of contribution within Formula One is absolutely untenable.
"The teams have got all the capital investment, yet they get no more than 50 per cent of the revenues. The next largest capital investment is by the racetracks who currently receive little or nothing from the revenues apart from what they get for bums on seats. Hardly any of them receive anything from TV revenues or the circuit advertising or the title sponsorship or the commercial hospitality. How can they reinvest when they have little or no income outside of spectator attendance fees?"
As the Scot picked up a head of steam, he also found time to slam the lack of a North American event on the 2009 calendar, and called Ecclestone's controversial plan for a medal system to replace points in 2009 as "nonsensical and inappropriate for a professional sport".
Finally, he turned on long-time enemy Mosley, calling again for the FIA head honcho to resign from his position. "I think Max should remove himself from the FIA completely and from motorsport and the motor industry," he purred, "The FIA should replace him with somebody not from within its organisation or even within motorsport. They should go out and headhunt a CEO who is going to rebuild the structure in line with modern practice to satisfy the investors in the sport and to give the FIA total transparency."
With the season of goodwill well and truly behind us, it remains to be seen what response Stewart's angry poking will elicit from F1's supremos.
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