Ecclestone: « Ayrton Senna’s death was a good thing for F1 »

The big financier and owner of commercial rights Bernie Ecclestone sparked another controversy by stating during this weekend at the Brazilian Grand Prix that Ayrton Senna’s fatal accident in 1994 turned out to be a good thing for Formula 1.

« He was unhappy. But the publicity generated was so… it was good for Formula 1 » said Ecclestone in an interview published by the Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo.

In a new attempt to explain his beliefs, the Briton added: « It is a shame that we lost Ayrton, but it happened. The event itself led people to become much more interested in Formula 1 when they did not know this sport. »

Bernie Ecclestone also added that the recent developments in Formula 1 have successfully dealt with last year’s financial crisis: « People talk about the crisis, but there is money. I just talked to a guy who wants to buy one of these teams » said Ecclestone, adding « I would be very happy if there were 13 teams next season. »

At the same time, the Englishman was categorical and ruled out any possibility of allowing a team to run three cars in the Formula 1 championship. It is acknowledged that this was a desire of Ferrari for 2010, to allow Michael Schumacher to be alongside Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso. « It’s stupid. They should forget about it! »