Bernie Ecclestone is a former stable manager and head of the commercial department of Formula 1. He is also one of the richest people in the world and has often ended up in bad weather for his comments.
Most recently in the hot air for having thought that British driver Lewis Hamilton should have brushed off racist comments.
In the television program Good Morning Britain, Ecclestone said a number of controversial things about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Became friends with Putin
According to the BBC, Ecclestone and Putin became friends during the Russian GP in Sochi in 2014. In 2016, the Formula 1 top said that Putin is "the man who should lead Europe".
In the television program, Ecclestone was asked if he could justify Putin's actions and the thousands of Ukrainians who died in the war.
- I do not do that, he says and continues:
- I'm pretty sure he (Putin) now wishes he did not start this whole thing, but it did not start as a war.
Criticized Zelensky
Ecclestone also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's handling of the situation.
According to him, Zelensky could have stopped the war if he had negotiated with Putin.
Several sports have condemned Putin's actions and in turn banned Russian athletes from participating, including tearing the Formula 1 contract with the Russian GP.
Bernie Ecclestone is of a different opinion.
- I'm not sure I would have made the same decision.