Bernie Ecclestone has apologized for his comments which showed support for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The former F1 boss said last week he would “take a bullet” for Putin “because he’s a first-class person, and what he’s doing is something that he believed was the right thing.” Read his full statements here.
Formula 1 had condemned his comments and expressed that his views are not in line with those of the championship. Now, however, Ecclestone has released an apology statement in which he said he did not intend to justify the war or the suffering of the Ukrainian people.
“Often people, I think, come out and say things or do things without really too much thinking,” he said. “Probably I did the same.
“And I could understand people thinking that I’m defending what he’s [Putin] done in Ukraine, which I don’t.
“I was brought up during [World War Two]. So I know what it’s like. I feel sorry for the people in Ukraine having to suffer for something they haven’t done.
“They’ve done nothing wrong. They didn’t start anything and they’ve done nothing. They want to get on with their lives. They want their kids to go to school and try to go to work and earn a living to keep their families going.
“So they don’t deserve to have to suffer. It’s not good for anybody. I can’t see anyone getting anything out of this. I think they should get together and get an agreement. And I’m sorry if anything I’ve said has upset anybody, because it certainly wasn’t intended.”
