Bernie Ecclestone was a master in making deals during his time as F1 supremo, and has recently admitted himself that the key to it all was his trustworthy handshake. Rightly credited as the man who made modern Formula 1 what it is today. The septuagenarian has brokered several deals across his storied career. A key trait he believes which enabled his success is trust. "I’m also a handshake guy," Ecclestone told GQ Britain. "Around the world people knew that, dealing with me, a handshake was enough. If you look at contracts, as soon as the ink is dry you’ve got a lawyer trying to find a way out of it. "My secret is my handshake. People know they can trust me to do the best for everyone involved." Ecclestone also explains how he hates empty words, stating that people always talk but few follow through. "People like to talk a lot. It’s always better to do something than talk about it. If you’re going to say you’re going to do something, do it," said Ecclestone. "I hate it when people say they’re going to do something, then don’t. I don’t bother [with them] again." Over the 2020 F1 season many drivers chose to kneel before races in support of Black Lives Matter, while an End Racism campaign was also implemented in the sport, though Ecclestone remembers the drivers being asked to do the opposite. “A few years ago,” Ecclestone began, “there was an American football player [Colin Kaepernick] who used to kneel before matches. “Well, there was a lot of anger from the authorities about that. One or two of the drivers in Formula One spoke out about it but, in the end, they didn’t do it. They didn’t kneel. “They said they were asked not to. They didn’t say who asked them not to – it wasn’t me. I was out of Formula 1. “I can’t see what’s different about this year. Those awful things that have been happening in America have been happening for many decades. “I suppose it’s a good thing that people have been made aware of what’s happening. I hope it makes a difference.”
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