Bernie Ecclestone claims he was misquoted over recent comments about the sport's target audience.

Not for the first time, the F1 supremo opened his mouth and the reverberations were felt throughout the sport... and beyond.

In a recent interview with Campaign Asia-Pacific, Ecclestone, when asked about who the sport is targeting, he replied: "If you have a brand that you want to put in front of a few hundred million people, I can do that easily for you on television. Now, you're telling me I need to find a channel to get this 15-year-old to watch Formula One because somebody wants to put out a new brand in front of them? They are not going to be interested in the slightest bit.

"Young kids will see the Rolex brand, but are they going to go and buy one? They can't afford it," he continued. "Our other sponsor, UBS - these kids don't care about banking. They haven't got enough money to put in the bloody banks anyway. That's what I think. I don't know why people want to get to the so-called 'young generation'. Why do they want to do that? Is it to sell them something? Most of these kids haven't got any money.

"I'd rather get to the 70-year-old guy who's got plenty of cash," he claimed. "So, there's no point trying to reach these kids because they won't buy any of the products here and if marketers are aiming at this audience, then maybe they should advertise with Disney."

At Friday's press conference in Abu Dhabi it was clear that the team bosses don't agree with Bernie's ideal F1 demographic.

"My previous background is on the car side, selling cars," said Marco Mattiacci, "and I met a lot of customers that told me they decided to dream of Ferrari when they were between eight or 10 years old, when they had the first poster hanging in their room or watching Gilles Villeneuve racing.

"I think it depends on the purpose, it depends on the objective," he continued. "But for an aspirational brand like Ferrari definitely our demographic is from the moment they can switch on TV or they can enter in a Ferrari store until when they can afford a car. Our brand is more a culture, a passion, so we really don't have that kind of segmentation less than we discuss about when we sell cars, but Formula One is a great platform to attract, to engage with a wide range of audience. The sooner we start that engagement, the sooner we start that connection, because you can foster and nurture that kid to become someone in the Ferrari family.

"Geographically, today, as Ferrari we are in almost 65 countries, so we target the world, that's why I think Formula One is a great platform. Female, male, I don't think it's a debate for us, we sell cars to everybody, that's not under discussion."

"I think it needs early education that this is the highest form or competition with cars and obviously for Mercedes this is important as well," added Toto Wolff. "Educate the children and you grow them into being customers and understanding that Mercedes is successful on the racing track in Formula One."

"Red Bull is very much about youth," said Christian Horner, "and absolutely the team has a huge following from the youth segment, that's male or female it's irrelevant of sex, or age or race, it's a sport as well that is accessible to everybody.

"You have to remember is that when you're 84, a 70-year-old is still pretty young," he concluded with a grin.

However, speaking to reporters over the weekend, Ecclestone insisted he had been misquoted.

"I never said younger generation, I said children," he insisted. "The question to me was children. I don't know how many six or seven-year-old kids there are with a Rolex, which their parents have probably bought for them. It's not the six year olds that buy the product we advertise.

"I answered a question, the question was about children, that was it," he added.

Now all we have to do is clarify his comments about; women dressing in white like other kitchen appliances, Hitler getting things done, Vladimir Putin's stance on gay rights (and pretty much everything else), and all the rest of those 'misquotes'.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by gturner38, 25/11/2014 2:05

"To a certain extent I understand where Bernie is coming from. If you have a choice of having a bunch of teens and twentysomethings being interested in F1 at the expense of an older demographic, it won't help a lot of their sponsors. The only problem is that people don't start their love affair with cars when they are 40. Disregarding the younger generation can work for a sport like golf because people tend to take it up later. "

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2. Posted by Ro, 24/11/2014 20:56 (moderated by an Adminstrator, 24/11/2014 23:52)

"This comment was removed by an administrator as it was judged to have broken the site's posting rules and etiquette."

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3. Posted by Editor, 24/11/2014 17:06

"@TokyoAussie

Surely the question is, when did Bernie become interested in money?

We know for a fact that while at school he used to be a wheeler dealer... long before he'd heard of motor sport.

"

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4. Posted by TokyoAussie, 24/11/2014 15:30

"Bernie is being a bit disingenuous. In his own words he talked about 15 year olds. Not the 6 or 7 he claims now. But from another perspective, 15 year olds are still children. Just the age when kids start to get an interest in motor racing, and cars in general. I wonder when Bernie first became interested in top-flight motor racing? When he was 70 or when he was 15?"

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5. Posted by SteveAikens, 24/11/2014 14:03 (moderated by an Adminstrator, 24/11/2014 23:52)

"Uh, Bernie - Did you happen to look around the track in Austin? My wife and I were there - we did. There sure were a lot of young people sitting in Mezzanine seating for them not to be an influence to the sport - or sponsors. Considering the number of "mis-quotes" from you - it may be time for you to consider how relaxed you could be - retired. "

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6. Posted by Hondawho?, 24/11/2014 12:53 (moderated by an Adminstrator, 24/11/2014 23:52)

"Having heard the team bosses last week, and how the question was cleverly put to them, its not a wonder Mr E decided to "clarify his position"! The fact is how would anyone know what he actually said, only him, so he can say anything it seems and then say "I didn't say that"........"

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7. Posted by Kkiirmki, 24/11/2014 12:35

"I'm in my forties and I can't afford a Rolex either, let alone a Ferrari. I suppose that means Bernie doesn't give a toss about me and couldn't care less if I watch F1 or not? There are certainly a lot of sponsors/brands in F1 that cater to us 'poorer' people but I suppose they don't count either?"

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8. Posted by Cobra Driver, 24/11/2014 12:16

"One day, BE will check himself into a medical facility and have his mouth connected to him brain."

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Bernie backtracks on "youth" comments

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