Long ago, those of us who have covered show business in one capacity or another got used to Chase Carey’s lush handlebar moustache. But apparently now that he will be the new face of Formula 1 – as the soon-to-be-86-year-old face of Bernie Ecclestone fades into the past – a whole new crowd is becoming fascinated with his facial hair.
Some of the comments on various motorsports websites around the world focus on that as much as his business acumen (lots) and his motorsports experience (none, really, but he was a member of the Harvard Business School Rugby Club).
Some samples:
“I mustache him some questions that may make him bristle.”
“I can’t decide if it’s trustworthy or if it’s mocking me.”
“No one is going to take any notice of what he does for as long as he keeps that epic ‘stache.”
“That reminds me, I’m hungry for some Curly Q fries.”
“It’ll certainly be interesting to see what happens, regarding growth. Of his moustache.”
Well, then. Moustache aside, many of us who have dealt with Carey on some level might suggest that F1 could have done worst. He came to Fox in 1988, where he rose steadily through the ranks, launching various Fox products and managing its takeovers such as DirectTV.
Toward the end of his career, he worked closely with Fox’s Rupert Murdoch – like him or not, he’s been the Bernie Ecclestone of broadcasting and media these past few decades – and Rupert’s son James. While Carey may not know a lot about racing, he knows plenty about marketing and broadcasting, which now seems a lot more important in the world of motorsports than what happens on the track.
Given a whisker of a chance, we think he might serve the sport pretty well.