Oh Dear, Bernie....
Contrary to what I have often written about BE I actually very mixed feelings about his role in GP history.  No doubt about it, he's a greedy, money grubbing little c**t who thinks that material wealth is the be all & end all of existance of human life.  Sorry SOB.  That said, he took GP racing out of the stone ages and gave the drivers and team owners a voice in the way the sport is conducted.  Prior to the formation of FOCA the team owners and drivers were at the mercy of the circut owners and local officials who were all convinced that the the GP circus showed up every year simply to line their (the circut owners and promoters) pockets.  Bernard's greatest contribution to the sport may have been the formation of the FIA safety commitee and bring Prof. Watkins aboard to lead it.  A  great many racing drivers and marshals are still alive today owing to the efforts of BE & Sir JYS.  Bernie was the team manager of Winkleman Racing and Jochen Rindt's personal manager (and one of the first on the scene of his fatal accident at Monza, it was he who carried Jochen's helmet back to the pits) so he was all too aware of the perils the drivers used to face.
Fax

" motor racing fans were considered just a nuisance who got in the way of the Corporate Guests "

This isn't the sole preserve of F1 these days...

Not so at the LMES at Silverstone. I was wandering around the Audi UK team garage 2 hours before the race Merrily snapping away with my trusty box  brownie. McNish was in there being interviewed by some hack. I wasn't bounced out on my ear or even told to piss off so there is hope for us mere mortals in this world of corperate hospitality.