'Tyler was a special person to me' - Ecclestone

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Bernie Ecclestone has paid his own tribute to his friend Tyler Alexander, who has died at the age of 75.

Alexander passed away on Thursday, with a number of figures in F1 taking to social media to pay their respects to one of the founders of the McLaren team. Ron Dennis described Alexander as "one of the finest of the old school", having brought the American back to McLaren in 1989 where he stayed until retirement at the end of 2008.

Ecclestone has now offered his own tribute to Alexander, who he has described as "a special person to me" following his long association with McLaren and F1.

"Tyler Alexander was a true motor racing man, passionate, knowledgeable and the kindest of people," Ecclestone told the official Formula One website. "He worked with some of the greatest drivers, spanning nearly 50 years.

"He was a friend and had been through his days in motorsport. Tyler was a special person to me. He understood people and the sport. I am going to miss him."

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