It’s safe to say the 2023 Formula One season won’t be remembered as one of the more memorable ones – given Max Verstappen won 19 out of the 22 races on his way to a third straight championship.
That feeling seems to have been displayed by former Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, in the latest release of his annual Christmas card.
The 93-year-old releases the annual card which normally features a playful joke at a memorable moment from the past season.
This year however marked a departure from the norm as instead of a cartoon of F1 drivers and team principals, it instead just shows a snowy field.
Red Bull’s executive advisor Helmut Marko, as per Marca, said that Ecclestone’s card was a ‘big slap’ in the face of Formula One.
Ex-F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone has been accused of giving the sport a ‘big slap’ in the face
His annual Christmas card normally contains a cartoon of something that happened in the season – though this time he could ‘not think of anything exciting or strange’ this year
Max Verstappen (right) won 19 out of the 22 races to be crowned a three-time champion
Marko’s response is perhaps at the message on the card from Ecclestone after what was a rather processional season with it apparent early on that the title was heading in the way of Verstappen.
Ecclestone in his card wrote: ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t think of anything exciting or strange that happened this year that could be illustrated in my usual card.
‘So I wish you a happy and peaceful end to the year in which 2024 will bring you everything which is good for you and a more stable world. Bernie.’
A year ago, the caption was ‘Just organising the plotting’, with the card art depicting warring team bosses whispering and eavesdropping in the pitlane.
Before that, Ecclestone poked fun at the social and cultural moments of the time, with drivers wearing surgical masks shown kneeling on the grid and receiving vaccines.
Ecclestone’s public profile has diminished since he left the sport though his comments on the 2008 title fight has sparked controversy this year.
Felipe Massa initiated legal proceedings regarding the 2008 championship title over alleged comments made from Ecclestone which suggested he knew about the intentional nature of the crash in Singapore in 2008 – which the Brazilian claims to have cost him the championship.
In March 2023, the Brazilian driver initiated legal proceedings after Ecclestone was quoted stating that he and former FIA President Max Mosley were aware of the intentional nature of the Singapore 2008 Grand Prix incident – which Nelson Piquet Jr in the Renault intentionally crashed – before they came to light in the public.
Helmut Marko (right) of Red Bull was the person who said the card was a ‘slap in the face’
Past cards have involved cartoons of memorable moments from that season such as Nico Rosberg throwing his second placed cap at Lewis Hamilton after the 2015 US Grand Prix
‘I don’t remember any of this, to be honest. I don’t remember giving the interview, for sure,’ Ecclestone said to Reuters.
Piquet’s crash and the subsequent safety car helped his team-mate Fernando Alonso take victory.
Massa had been leading for majority of the race but an unfortunate pit stop error during the safety car caused by Piquet’s crash, where his fuel hose remained attached resulted in lost time, and ultimately caused him to finish outside the points.
Lewis Hamilton secured the 2008 F1 drivers’ championship, narrowly edging out Massa who came agonisingly close to victory, missing out by just a single point.
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