Ecclestone: 'New F1 owners want to 'get rid of Bernie's history'

©WRI2

The man who ruled over Grand Prix racing for over four decades says that he is being erased from the sport's history by its new owners.

In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, Bernie Ecclestone says that Chase Carey, F1's new CEO, has cast him aside, eager to close a chapter of the sport's history and Move on.

"I can't do anything," Ecclestone told the Mail on Sunday.

"Even the staff have been told they shouldn't talk to me. They want to get rid of the Bernie era: 'Let's get rid of Bernie's history'.

"They always say the same thing, they probably think it makes me happy but it doesn't: 'He has done a super job but we have to move on', and they may be right."

The 86-year-old also reiterated the fact that he was surprised that Liberty Media did not keep him on, at least for another year.

"Was I annoyed when Liberty asked me to step down? No - the way I look at it, if somebody buys a car, they want to drive it," he said.

"I was a little disappointed because I was asked before they took over, would I stay here for three years if they took over and I said, provided I was fit and competent, yes, I would

"I was a bit surprised the day after they completed the deal that I was asked to stand down because Chase wanted to be chief executive.

"Chase did that face to face."

"I'm terribly envious of Chase because he is in the lovely position of being able to do a lot of things I wanted to do and couldn't."

GALLERY: F1 drivers' wives and girlfriends

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter