Saturday 15th November 2008
Bernie Ecclestone, under fire after dismissing racial abuse of Lewis Hamilton in Barcelona earlier in the year as “a bit of a joke”, called for anyone found guilty of the offence to be banned from the sport for life. “I want you to know that I’m not a racist,’ Ecclestone told the Mail on Sunday.”It came out wrong. I was having a shave when the radio station rang me, it was early in the morning, and I wasn’t really concentrating. No excuses, but I was careless in my choice of words. I mucked up. I rang Lewis and his dad to apologise and they accepted it immediately. They know I’m not a racist.’ When asked if he would call for anyone who blackens their face at a grand prix, or makes monkey noises, to be evicted in future and banned for life, he replied: “OK, I will. That’s what should happen, and I am happy for you to say that I want it to happen.”