Former Formula One (F1) president Bernie Eccleston has been criticized for saying Russian President Vladimir Putin is a top-notch figure and will even be shot for him.
When asked if he still considers Putin a friend, Eccleston responded in an interview on ITV in the UK.
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When it comes to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he defended "everyone makes mistakes sometimes," which Putin would have believed was right for the people.
He added that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky could have averted the war by talking to Putin.
Eccleston, who was born in 1930, served as president of F1, the world's most prestigious automobile race, for 40 years from 1978 to 2017.
F1 later said in a statement, "This is the personal view of former Chairman Eccleston, and it is in stark contrast to the current position of F1."