P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Sky F1 star speechless over Austrian GP podium revelation
Sky F1 commentator Harry Benjamin was astonished by Bernie Ecclestone’s first-ever podium appearance at the Austrian Grand Prix, where McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri shone with a double podium finish.
Ecclestone, the former CEO of the Formula One Group, awarded Norris the FIA President’s medal in the absence of the current president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, amidst the celebratory atmosphere.
This unexpected turn of events left the Sky F1 team impressed, especially since Ecclestone, known for his significant influence on F1’s transformation, had never graced a podium in his almost 70-year-long F1 career.
Ecclestone’s participation in the podium ceremony drew attention to his enduring impact on the sport, despite his 2017 departure as CEO after Liberty Media’s acquisition of F1’s commercial rights.
The episode encapsulated Ecclestone’s storied career in F1, from his days as a driver to his tenure as a team owner and later as the instrumental figure behind the sport’s global expansion.
