Friends honour Ecclestone with special evening in London

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Tuesday evening, Bernie Ecclestone was honored by over one hundred close friends and guest at London's fashionable Sumosan Twiga restaurant.

The surprise bash was apparently masterminded by Bernie's close friend and ally Flavio Briatore, and mark his 40 years of Formula 1 despite the 86-year-old's recent departure from the helm of Grand Prix racing.

"The amazing thing is that all the people I contacted accepted and showed up," said Briatore.

"Normally when you invite a hundred people, you'll get sixty, because we are talking about important people who live thousands of kilometers away. But all of them agreed!"

Guests paid tribute to Mr. E upon his entrance, wearing 'Bernie Ecclestone' masks, a somewhat frightening sight to be honest.

The list of notables included Prince Albert of Monaco, Prince Salman of Bahrain, Luca Di Montezemolo, Stefano Domenicali, Piero Ferrari, David Coulthard, Max Mosley, Toto Wolff, Niki Lauda and many others.

"It was a tribute to Bernie's career, which certainly has not been treated well by Formula 1's new owners," added the flamboyant Italian.

"People forget in a hurry what this man created. It was an evening which was a bit sad, but also very beautiful."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.