Grandprix.com have the story of his life here.

His son Paul-Henri runs the Cahier archive website which has a magnificent collection of F1 photographs from both Bernard and Paul-Henri.

“Barack Obama is campaigning very hard, going everywhere these days to get the vote out. Barack Obama’s staff recently announced that Barack is planning to hold a campaign event at a NASCAR race. Yeah. The event will be called ‘Meet your first black guy.’”

“We won’t come back,” Ecclestone told The Times when asked if F1 will ever return to Silverstone. “We’re in the same situation as we were before Donington came into the deal. I am sure they will be ready but, if not, we will sign with another country. There won’t be a British Grand Prix. Pure and simple.”

F1racing

Does Bernie perhaps think that Donington will not be able to meet its targets for a British GP in 2010 and so the British GP slot on the calendar can be given to some other country? It’d be Machiavellian, but it would allow Bernie to blame someone else for the decision to move.

When you look at all the aspects of the deal, it is extraordinarily ambitious
1. There is only 2 years to make all the changes
2. The circuit is not up to modern F1 standard
3. There is no planning permission for any changes
4. The road system around Donington is a nightmare
5. The £100m required is not available. I heard the Donington CEO on ITV say that the money was going to be raised through (I believe) a debenture scheme with the public. That’s a big ask

As Wikipedia points out, Brands Hatch also secured the deal to host the British Grand Prix in 1999 and was unable to complete the changes required

In 1999, Foulston announced that Brands Hatch had acquired the rights to the British Grand Prix from 2002.[6] Whilst discussions were ongoing with regards to planning permission to bring the circuit up to F1 requirements, Foulston sold BHL to Octagon Motorsports (a subsidiary of Interpublic) for £120 m.[7] Octagon, however, failed to obtain the necessary planning permission and instead decided to lease Silverstone in order to host the Grand Prix.[8]

What surprises me now after the race is that no excuses are being offered.

Joint world championship leader Felipe Massa was at a loss to explain his catalogue of errors in the rain-hit British Grand Prix, after finishing last on track two laps down, having spun no less than five times.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/68942

The Ferrari President even said his piece

“I hope we’ll manage to win our eighth title in ten years,” he was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport. “We will (manage it) if we don’t carry on doing stupid things.

“Obviously I wasn’t pleased with what I saw yesterday, but I hope it’s a useful lesson. Knowing my men, I’m certain it is.”

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/68977

I think Massa has surprised us all this year with his ability to match and sometimes even surpass Raikkonen, but the question has to be asked - does he have the ability to win a Championship for Ferrari and if not, why is he in the team?

Donington has previously hosted Grand Prix and most notably was the scene of possibly the greatest first lap in Formula 1 history.

A suitably excitable South American commentator in that Youtube clip.

Some of us on Linksheaven were at Donington recently to cheer on John Edwards and you can see the photos from that event here. Years and years ago I was at Donington to watch what (I believe) was the first truck race in Europe, which was smashing (literally) good fun.

Donington as a track has character. It is undulating and it has a Spitfire on a pedestal overlooking the track. As a circuit it is rather narrow and short so I’m afraid it would lead to quite boring Formula 1 races. The track facilities are not good, but there is lots of room for expansion. Getting in and out of the track is an utter nightmare.

The best part of Donington is the museum, which has probably the finest collection of F1 cars ever assembled. Any museum with a “McLaren hallway” has to be something special

British GP Data Sheet