The face of Formula One might be about to change after German authorities confirmed they will press ahead with bribery charges against F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
The 82-year-old has been accused of bribing jailed German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky with a £29 million ($44m) payment to sway the sale of the sport to CVC which had promised to retain Ecclestone as CEO.
Whilst Ecclestone denies the bribery claims, German authorities are pressing ahead with a court case which could see Ecclestone jailed if found guilty.
The Munich court is in the process of filing charges, but an unconcerned Ecclestone says he’s yet to receive the official documents which could take upwards of a month to prepare.
“They haven’t told me [about the charges], that’s the only problem. I suppose they will eventually, they’re going to have to, obviously,” he is quoted as saying on Wednesday.
“To be quite honest with you I haven’t done anything about any of these things. I haven’t bothered. If I have to get bothered, then I’ll get bothered.”
It was put to Ecclestone that he is taking a rather relaxed approach to the affair which could end his long career at the top, to which he replied: “Absolutely. 100 per cent. Sooner or later somebody will look into it, which they have, and then they will have to make a decision on what they decide.”
His lawyers, of which he has plenty including Germany’s top law firm, Thomas Deckers Wehnert Elsner, as well as his team of lawyers based in London, refused to comment on the matter in any detail.
“The documents with the charges from the Munich prosecutor’s office have not been received. A statement is therefore not possible. The defence sticks to its view that Mr Ecclestone has neither committed bribery nor played any part in committing a fiduciary breach of trust.”
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