BERNIE ECCLESTONE: 'PRISON? I WILL LEAD F1 FOR YEARS’
Wednesday August 3,2011
By Bob McKenzie
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone
BERNIE ECCLESTONE has warned critics that, far from being locked up in a German prison, he plans to be in control of Formula One for years to come.
“I will be doing what I do best for a while yet – making good deals to keep a lot of people happy and well off in F1,” said Bernie Ecclestone, 80.
“Some might not want me to continue but I enjoy what I do. That is what I’ll be judged on.”
German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky is being investigated by authorities and claims he was paid £27million by Ecclestone in 2005 when F1 was being sold. Ecclestone says he made a payment because Gribkowsky, who was chief risk officer at Bayern LB, which sold a 47 per cent stake in F1 to the current owners, CVC, was “shaking me down”.
Former Renault F1 boss and Ecclestone’s friend, Flavio Briatore, has been mentioned in the German tax probe.
“In no shape or form is Briatore involved in this,” said Ecclestone.
“He did make a payment for me but only because I asked him after this man Gribkowsky threatened to make trouble for me and said he did not want the money paid direct from the UK.
“Briatore did me a favour and, far from being dragged into this, I told the German prosecutor about it. That is how his name has appeared.”
Ecclestone also says that, contrary to reports, his Formula One Management lawyers have not been investigated, although several connected to his family trust, Bambino, have spoken to the German authorities. “Neither have my company lawyers been investigated,” he said. “I don’t worry about this a bit. The end [for me]? Of course not.”
Asked if he would be around for another couple of years, Ecclestone said: “Are you restricting me? If I can keep delivering, that’s all I need to do.”
He and Briatore are preparing to sell QPR FC for about £100m.
“There are three or four parties interested,” said Ecclestone. “I want the deal done quickly.
“The season kicks off a week on Saturday and I don’t know if we would want to still be negotiating past then.”
Credit: Express (www.express.co.uk)
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