The former Formula 1 mogul has been working on a tell-all documentary series that purports to pull back the curtain on the global sport he (arguably) created and controlled for over 40 years.
The eight-part series, called Lucky!, has been created and directed by Manish Pandey – writer of the award-winning 2010 documentary Senna – and features exclusive, personal interviews with the now-91-year-old Ecclestone as well as unique archive footage and spicy insider goss.
As the producers describe it, it tells the story of Ecclestone’s “lifelong quest to turn the sport he loves, Formula 1, from the lethal pastime of rich amateurs into a televised global super-sport, rivalled only by the Olympics and the Football World Cup. It is also the story of a fundamental conflict, increasingly seen in all aspects of life: the balance between a pursuit, in this case sport, and money.”
The title comes from one of Ecclestone’s famous quotes: “I never planned anything in Formula 1. If I saw an opportunity, I took it, and if it was successful it was because… I was lucky!”
WATCH our first look at Lucky! below.
Ecclestone, of course, is one of F1’s most controversial and important figures.
The English business magnate started off as an (unsuccessful) driver but then pivoted to managing other drivers, including the 1970 World Driver’s Champion Jochen Rindt. In 1972, he bought the Brabham team, which he ran for 15 years, during which the team won two Driver’s Championships with Nelson Piquet.
But it was Ecclestone’s exploits as a media executive that he’s best known for. As Brabham owner, he formed the Formula One Constructors Association (FOCA) in 1974, using the organisation’s power to negotiate television rights for the sport. Over the next 4 decades, Ecclestone would use that power to control F1 and transform it into the international media sensation it is today.
Lucky! is set to debut on DAZN in six countries later this year – Austria, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and Switzerland – but there’s no news on when and where you’ll be able to watch it in Australia just yet.
Read Next