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Why Ecclestone can’t let go of F1

Bernie Ecclestone insists he's not bitter about his departure from an all-powerful position in Formula 1. But a chat in Bahrain hints at plenty of rancour and that he certainly won't be going quietly

Bernie Ecclestone is, he always said, a man of his word. A man whose word is his bond.

So, when he said "let's talk in Bahrain" during his pre-Australian Grand Prix telephone call to me, I had expectations of interviewing the 86-year-old. I certainly did not, though, believe our chat would last 45 minutes, and end only when a race promoter called with some urgent business.

We meet in Bahrain circuit's executive tower on Saturday at 4pm, two hours ahead of qualifying, and I open by quipping that "You're on the fourth floor; last year you would have been on the roof."

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