Bernie Ecclestone insists democracy has no place, salutes Vladimir Putin and Sepp Blatter

The 84-year-old was pressed by Russian state-funded TV network RT about whether his sport’s decision making had become too democratic.

"I don’t think there’s any place for democracy, full stop," he said. "Anywhere."

When interrogated further, he continued: “It appears to be a democracy, perhaps.

"I think, if you can get people to, more or less, fall in line with what you’re trying to do and support you, then it seems like democracy, which is exactly what democracy should be seeming like."

Ecclestone added that he was Russian president Vladimir Putin’s “best supporter” and defended under-fire FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

"I don’t think he [Blatter] should have ever stepped down and I don’t think he should have ever been challenged because it’s because of him we have a lot of countries around the world that are now playing football," he said.

"And if these people allegedly have been corrupted to make things happen in their country, it’s good. It’s a tax football had to pay."

F1's next destination is the United States, something Ecclestone is not particularly enamoured about.

"I’m not very enthusiastic about America," he said. "The biggest problem with them is that they believe greatest sort of power in the world."

Inevitably, the show host quizzed him further on this subject, to which Ecclestone concluded: "It’s difficult, because, they are a big island, so they are a bit isolated; they are slowly starting to learn what other people in the world do."