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Sir Ben Ainslie has opened up about his views on Sir Jim Ratcliffe, seven months on from initially hitting out at the Manchester United co-owner after being dropped from his Ineos sailing team.
In April it was announced that Ainslie will have no involvement in their quest to win the 38th America's Cup in 2027 - with Dave Endean appointed as chief executive of the team's project.
The decision came as a surprise to Ainslie who had stated his desire to end Great Britain's 173-year wait for success - having lost out to Emirates Team New Zealand 7-2 in October 2024.
Ainslie's anger was so that he released a furious retort through his team Athena Racing at the time declaring that he was 'astounded' by it all. There was also confusion at who had the now-ended partnership's intellectual property (IP).
'The British Challenger for the 38th America's Cup, led by Sir Ben Ainslie, was astounded to read today's statement from INEOS and Mercedes F1 regarding their planned challenge for the 38th America's Cup,' the statement read.
'This plan raises significant legal and practical obstacles for them that will play out in the coming days and weeks.
Sir Ben Ainslie (left) has spoken about his relationship with Sir Jim Ratcliffe after their row
The duo haven't seen eye-to-eye since it was announced that Ainslie will have no involvement in Ratcliffe's quest to win the 38th America's Cup in 2027 with his Ineos team
'Furthermore, Sir Ben Ainslie's British America's Cup team will be known as Athena Racing going forwards, aligning with the British Women's and Youth America's Cup team, the Athena Pathway.'
However, fast-forward by seven months and Ainslie's views on Ratcliffe have subdued somewhat.
Speaking to The Times, the 48-year-old focused on the fond memories with the 73-year-old - expressing that he would go for a drink with him if the opportunity arises in the future.
'I hope so,' he said. 'I mean we achieved a lot as a team and Jim and Ineos were a big part of that.
'Obviously, it's got a lot of interest, both in sport and business, but we always got on very well personally. So let's see.'
'This [how his split with Ineos came about] is the world we live in. There's a lot at stake and it's cut-throat to a certain extent.
'None of it's necessarily surprising and I'm still really proud of what we achieved in Barcelona.'
Despite speaking positively of Ratcliffe, Ainslie made it clear that he has moved on from it all.
Reflecting on their relationship, Ainslie preferred to focus on the good times with Ratcliffe
'We had a fantastic partnership, and we achieved a lot together, but we've definitely moved on. We've both moved on.
'The IP we developed together we're sharing going forward. We have IP on our side, they have IP on their side, and the agreement is that both teams can take that forward in their own spheres if you like.'
Ainslie is currently looking to achieve more success in the sailing world by guiding his Emirates GBR team to victory in the SailGP championship.
They currently lead Black Foils SailGP Team, formerly New Zealand SailGP Team, by three points at the top of the standings going into the Grand Final at Abu Dhabi this weekend.
