Oct.27 (GMM) Former Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone turns 95 on Tuesday – and longtime friend and veteran journalist Roger Benoit says the sport’s onetime “tsunami” remains sharp, content, and quietly amused by his own longevity.
“I don’t think about it, because at my age, you no longer count in years,” Ecclestone smiled when asked by Blick if he hopes to reach 100.
“Even if I’m aching more often now,” he added, noting with typical wit that his daily pills “are multiplying.”
Ecclestone still avoids alcohol – “I need milk and fruit juices,” he quipped – and lives quietly with his wife Fabiana, 49, and their five-year-old son Ace on their farm in Ampero, near Sao Paulo.
“My greatest wish has come true,” he told Benoit. “I can now talk to my son Ace. And with Fabiana, I’ve never been so happy.”
Benoit and Ecclestone’s 50-year friendship has spanned countless Formula 1 eras and anecdotes, including their annual backgammon battles and late-night political debates.
Benoit recalled that during the last US elections, Ecclestone – ever the gambler – declined to bet on Donald Trump.
“‘The odds are too poor. It’s not worth it,’ Benoit wrote, recalling Ecclestone’s words. “When I looked over a little later, Bernie had fallen asleep.”
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