F1 boss insults female drivers

RNPS - REUTERS NEWS PICTURE SERVICE - PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2014 Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Formula One commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone during the first Russian Grand Prix in Sochi, in this October 12, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskyi/RIA Novosti/Kremlin/Files (RUSSIA - Tags: SPORT MOTORSPORT F1 POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

RNPS - REUTERS NEWS PICTURE SERVICE - PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2014 Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Formula One commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone during the first Russian Grand Prix in Sochi, in this October 12, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskyi/RIA Novosti/Kremlin/Files (RUSSIA - Tags: SPORT MOTORSPORT F1 POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Published Apr 20, 2016

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London, England - Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone caused a social media storm on Tuesday when he said women racing drivers would not be taken seriously in the sport and dismissed the contribution of immigrants to Britain.

Ecclestone, 85, also hailed Russian president Vladimir Putin as a man who “should be running Europe” and expressed support for US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The Russian Grand Prix in Sochi, a project close to Putin's heart, is the next race on the Formula One calendar and Ecclestone in 2015 declared himself the president's “best supporter”.

Formula One has not had a woman driver start a Grand Prix since 1976 and Ecclestone, who has caused offence in the past by comparing women to domestic appliances, triggered a backlash on social media.

“I don't know whether a woman would physically be able to drive an F1 car quickly, and they wouldn't be taken seriously,” he said.

‘HERE WE GO AGAIN’

British driver Pippa Mann, who has competed four times in the Indianapolis 500 and is a race winner in the US Indy Lights series, fired back immediately.

“Sigh. #HereWeGoAgain,” she said on Twitter.

“Perhaps someone should remind him that @IndyCar doesn't have power steering, and we're strong enough to drive those.”

Asked by Martin Sorrell, a non-executive director of Formula One and whose grandparents came from Russia, whether immigrants had contributed to Britain, Ecclestone replied: “They have not.”

Britain's triple Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton is the grandson of immigrants to Britain from the Caribbean island of Grenada.

The NBC Sports website reported the comments under the headline “Ecclestone says more Ecclestone type controversial things”.

Reuters

Sigh. 🙄 #HereWeGoAgain https://t.co/0TgvAG7LvU

— Pippa Mann (@PippaMann) April 19, 2016

Bernie Ecclestone says female drivers "wouldn't be taken seriously" in Formula 1 https://t.co/6dJ6qYLHXO #F1 pic.twitter.com/1VYyCRxCAb

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 19, 2016

@andrewbensonf1 perhaps someone should remind him that @IndyCar doesn't have power steering, and we're strong enough to drive those...? 😤

— Pippa Mann (@PippaMann) April 19, 2016

No, No and thrice no! abhorrent sexist views from Bernie @Susie_Wolff @PippaMann women can and should compete in @F1 https://t.co/6aRYzqWGro

— @UndercoverWelsh (@WelshUndercover) April 19, 2016

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