Simply Abu Dhabi VIII

9 1 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I "I don't think there is anybody, fan, team rival or otherwise, who wouldn't be happy for him. And, believe me, it could well happen because he is very much on the pace, and as fired up as he was in his pomp." The 81-year-old double billionaire, one of Europe's richest men, was still buzzing fromhismemory of themagic ofMontreal when2008 champion Hamilton put himself in seventh heaven with his first win of the season...leaving world-beaters Vettel, the German wonderboy, and SpanishFlyer Alonso to sniff the exhaust fumes of his raceawayMcLaren. The title chase is wide open with no breakaway looming as the multi- million-dollar teams and their mega-rich drivers bid to outwit one another on and off the tracks: the stages for their skill and engineering expertise. "We are not even at the halfway mark yet," added Ecclestone, "and the lead in the drivers' championship is swapping all the time. There's a lot more fun and drama to come before the end of the season. That's a guarantee." All of which adds to the marketability of the F1 show, sale postponed for the moment, but destined for a $10 billion scramble when Ecclestone and his cohorts decide the time is right for the float in the world marketplace. Formula One is his pride and joy. Like a doting father, he has carefully nurtured and developed it from its uncertain and shaky infancy to a maturity of almost immeasurable value. "It has been a tough and time-consuming challenge,” he says, “but I have enjoyed every minute of my hard work doing what I could to put F1 on the world map – and at the forefront of sport and big business, too.”

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