Sir Jackie Stewart has never been one to hold back when he feels there is something wrong in the world of Formula 1. The former World Champion campaigned to bring about a lot of the safety issues that we take for granted today, and was honoured for doing so. He garners a lot of respect within the paddock, and knows F1 inside out.
That's why his interview with the Times newspaper is such big news. Stewart hits out at both Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley and says the way the sport is run cannot last for much longer.
Stewart believes that Ecclestone has a dictatorship within the sport, and that there is no succession plan for when he leaves the job. He and his companies take money from the teams to enter the sport, from the circuits to be on the calendar, and from TV companies to broadcast coverage, and only hands out a small amount back. One of Sir Jackie's main complaints is that the teams have all the capital overheads but see very little return for their money. As a team owner for a short time, Stewart knows what he's talking about.
On the subject of Max Mosley, Stewart has already been very vocal. The pair had a slanging match in 2007 that saw lawyers getting involved. Stewart believes the FIA President should leave his post and be replaced by someone who is not from within motorsport and who can rule with a new and fresh way of thinking.
As yet, there has been no response from either Ecclestone or Mosley, or a spokesperson on their behalf. It may be that they never respond, and most likely they will dismiss Stewart's claims as the ramblings of someone who is already outside the sport.
However, one of Sir Jackie's quotes really sums up the problems Formula 1 could be facing if it carries on the way it is:
"It has taken too long to achieve the things it should have achieved years ago and that other sports have long ago matured to, and other sports have prepared themselves more fully for the opportunities that have come their way."
For what is supposed to be the pinnacle of motorsport, it's starting to sound pretty antiquated. I await a response to Stewart's quotes with interest.
