Liberty ’don’t want me at races’ - Ecclestone

Bernie Ecclestone says Liberty Media is not making him welcome at grands prix.

F1’s long-time supremo has attended a handful of races this year, after being stepped down as chief executive by his successor Chase Carey.

"Chase sent a message to one of the girls in the office to tell me that they haven’t got so many offices at the circuits — only what the race promoter gives them," the 86-year-old, who will attend the Brazilian grand prix next month, told the Daily Mail.

"So basically they don’t want me to come to races. It would have been just as easy to have said that to me. Anyway, I have obliged them," Ecclestone said.

He admits stepping away from the sport he oversaw for decades has been difficult, but he is moving on with his life by relocating from London to Switzerland.

Asked if leaving London will be a wrench, Ecclestone answered: "Yeah. It’s a bit of a wrench not being involved in formula one, but you get used to it."

But he also said he thinks new F1 chief executive Carey is having a tougher than expected time running the sport without him.

"They (Liberty) haven’t done anything yet as far as I can see," said the Briton.

"I got things done quietly. All they do is talk," Ecclestone said. "They said they wanted six races in America, for example.

"Chase had preconceived ideas of what needed to be done. But now he’s on board, it isn’t quite as easy as he thought. So I feel sorry for him," he added.