Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, who last year praised Adolf Hitler for “being able to get things done”, has again made controversial statements on this subject. Asked about the controversy he caused last year with an interview published by ‘The Times’, Ecclestone told the British newspaper ‘Mail on Sunday’ that “[w]hat Hitler did [after 1939] was at best disgusting. And unnecessary,” and he added: “What happened up until 1939 was, probably, good for the country, because it put Germany back on the road; but (what Hitler did) after that was completely unnecessary and I don't think there was any advantage. I don't think anybody could have got any advantage out of it.”
Asked by the interviewer if he stood by last year’s comments, for which he apologized in several newspapers, Ecclestone said: “Since this has all happened I have managed to look a bit more into these things... In fact, there has been an awful lot written recently about those days and when you read all that, you realize it probably isn’t what people thought.”
In July 2009, the 79-year-old Ecclestone – who manages the popular Formula One races for the private equity firm CVC which owns the rights to the circuit – came close to being sacked after praising the Nazi dictator’s economic policies. World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder called on him to resign, and a CVC board member strongly condemned his statements. Asked by the ‘Mail on Sunday’ about this incident, Ecclestone merely said: “'That's Martin Sorrell. He's, you know, Jewish...”
Read the full interview with Bernie Ecclestone on the ‘Daily Mail’ website.
