As I like languages, here is the translation. No need to thank me this time ;)

Here is the news: (AGI/EFE) - Rio de Janeiro, 18 ott. - Clamorosa gaffe del patron della Formula Uno, Bernie Ecclestone. La morte del pilota brasiliano Ayrton Senna, ha detto, "fu una grande disgrazia, ma un bene per la Formula Uno per la grande pubblicita' generata" che riusci' ad avvicinare a questo sport un gran numero di persone. "Fu una disgrazia aver perso Ayrton", ha affermato Ecclestone in un'intervista al quotidiano brasiliano 'Folha de Sao Paulo', "...era popolare e molta gente che non conosceva la Formula Uno si e' avvicinata (all'automobilismo) grazie alla pubblicita' generata dalla sua morte". Non si tratta della prima gaffe per il patron della Formula Uno: nel luglio scorso, Ecclestone aveva gia' suscitato scalpore con un'intervista al 'Times' in cui elogiava Adolf Hitler. Poi, per la bufera provocata, era stato costretto a chiedere scusa parlando di un malinteso.

The death of Ayrton Senna was a great disgrace, but it was good for f1 because of the great amount of publicity that was generated. The publicity attracted a great many people to this sport. It was a disgrace to have lost Ayrton, he was popular and many people who did not know f1 were attracted by the publicity his death generated.

The news goes on to underline that this is not Ecclestone's first major gaffe and that it was preceded by the Hitler remarks.

Under the what-was-Mosley-doing-in-Germany-9-months-before-St-Michael-was-born conspiracy theory, that's the last thing the FIA under Mosley wanted.

Hopefully he won't leave Brazil alive. Total waste of oxygen.

Please, those corners with the walls being so close, if you had an off or a major mechanical failure you're going to have a major accident no matter what. The problem is that an important driver aid to keep the car stable was taken away and made the cars more dangerous to drive than before with it.

True, it wasn't bullet proof, but at least more often than not it kept cars on the track.

As usual, I think we can understand what he's saying, but...

He should have enough sense to know not to say it.

But it showed the cars couldn't handle such an impact. Look at video again, his car was torn apart, and he was exposed. Not supposed to happen.

I think Bernie`s atitude is that I am just so big enough, that I can say whatever crosses my mind without a care in the world. Althought it has some true to it, every death of a star in a popular sport is very major news. It bring a lot of attention to it invariably. F1 got some of those from time to time such as Clark, Cevert, Gilles and Senna to name a few.

But I don`t think what Bernie is totally correct. F1 already was a major internationally popular sport by the time of Senna`s death. And the Senna and Schumacher rivarly would only bring a lot of healthy attention and publicity to F1. But any way there are no IFs. And is pushing the common sense to the limit to say something like this.

Bernie is, quite clearly, as perverted and weird as Mad Max.

You should read my blog and book-in-the-making...

</shameless self-promotion>

Bernie has lost his mind. It's time for him to go before he damages the sport any further.

Yes I agree, no one sane or decent would say those things, so that pretty much describes Bernie. However, in Bernie's reasoning, he was right... it goes something like this.

"Money is the only important thing in life.
Senna's death generated increased bublicity.
Increased publicity means more money for me, so Senna's death was good for me.
Since I AM F1, Senna's death was good for F1."

Bernie, some people may admire you for your money, but that still leaves you as a pathetic human being.

What a stupid thing to say. This guy only thinks in terms of f1 cash registers clanking away. Look at the way he has taken f1 to places where there are no real fans like Abu diaby , barebrain and turnkey. I hope when he dies whenever that is and i wish him long life, that his death will be good for formula one and finally racing will come back to where it belongs...to true fans, like those i have met in silverstone, spa and montreal.

Ecclestone remarks about Senna put out of context, October 21st 2009

People were talking about the latest F1 scandal which was being reported in the Brazilian papers about Bernie Ecclestone saying that Ayrton Senna’s death was good for Formula 1.

Here is what Joe Saward from GrandPrix.com had to say ;

Inwardly I groaned. Yes, I had heard the story, I said, and by a pure coincidence I knew all about it and I had even heard what Bernie had actually said. How? Because a Brazilian journalist came to me with his tape recorder and asked me to listen to Bernie’s word so that he could understand exactly what he meant. I listened and I explained that he was not saying that Senna’s death was good for F1 but that “unfortunately the publicity that was created by Senna’s death resulted in the sport attracting a large number of new fans”. I warned the Brazilian to be careful because there was clearly a danger of the remarks being misinterpreted if he was not careful in the way he wrote the story. I also explained that the same phenomenon had occurred in NASCAR after the death of Dale Earnhardt and made the point that it was an interesting reflection on human nature that such things occur.
I was very disappointed to hear later that the story came out saying exactly what I told the journalist to avoid saying. Sadly, I am rarely surprised these days. Newspapers will do whatever they wish to do to sell more copies and their journalists are under pressure to sensationalize everything.
Small wonder the F1 media does not get much respect when they do things like this. They do not deserve respect.

To the Bernie bashers:

Give people some credit. Their interest in the sport after Senna died is not on the large driven by ghoulish voyeurism, or the need to see yet more deaths to keep them interested.

I was a 14 year old kid watching the TV when Senna died and at that point I become hooked on F1 because when Senna lost everything, I knew then what was at stake in races. Racing drivers take these incredible risks. It is an amazing sport.

What Bernie says is factually correct and it is one of the prime examples where internet forums are full of BS, when people say stuff like "Bernie and Mosley caused Senna's death". It is beyond doubt that Mosley contributed to safety after the death of Senna, you simply have to look at the technology present in modern F1 since then and the regulations to realise that. Mosley did not contribute to any rule changes in 1994 which could have caused Senna's accident. It was a mechanical failure, in the same way that the spring hit Massa this year - it was a freak mechanical failure, a freak tyre strike on the head, a driver pushing his equipment to the absolute limit.

Bernie didn't say 'Senna's death was good', he said "Senna's death made people interested in F1". For all the reasons I told you about above.

Often as well, what people say (especially out of context in tabloid rags) is very different to what they mean.

I also don't know how the guy who said that Senna's death made many people stop watching F1 than it attracted new fans into the sport. If anyone knows, it is much less likely to be Mr Internet Forum User than Bernie himself, who has had his hand directly on the business for decades and knows the figures like the back of his hand.

It goes without saying that F1 would have been better had Senna survived. It was a great tragedy. But that is not the whole story.

Bernie's comments always out of context, as are Max's actually. Motorsport is by the way dangerous. That's why we like it. Don't deny it, or you'll make it uninteresting. Nobody wants injury or death in any entertainment industry, but the sheer risk, even if small, is what makes it watchable to not so much us motorsport fans but to the general public, which brings the money - keeps the sport. Anyway God Bless Ayrton, and all the others.

Nice post.

I don't know if this is your opinion or fact - I think the seasons before those were very entertaining. 1998 for one was very engrossing. 2000 was an epic fight.

seems Bernie is getting a bashing due to poor translation..... this from someone who has heard the tape...

re: Bernie's comments on Senna's death

http://joesaward.wordpress.com/

I knew all about it and I had even heard what Bernie had actually said. How? Because a Brazilian journalist came to me with his tape recorder and asked me to listen to Bernie’s word so that he could understand exactly what he meant. I listened and I explained that he was not saying that Senna’s death was good for F1 but that “unfortunately the publicity that was created by Senna’s death resulted in the sport attracting a large number of new fans”. I warned the Brazilian to be careful because there was clearly a danger of the remarks being misinterpreted if he was not careful in the way he wrote the story. I also explained that the same phenomenon had occurred in NASCAR after the death of Dale Earnhardt and made the point that it was an interesting reflection on human nature that such things occur.

No, that must be a typo ...Senna's death was good for F1

What BE tries to tell us is: 'Senna's death was good for my bankaccount'. That, ladies and gents, is totally a different thing.

If the journalist is speaking english that bad, really .. why would one even borther to become a 'english' journalist at all? And if he speaks english that bad what did he ask Bernie in second place?

That's what I've been trying to say.