Bernie Ecclestone pays his way out of court but F1 position remains in doubt
£60m settlement ends bribery court case F1 owners to decide over chief executives future
For a sport that relishes the rule book it was perhaps fitting that Bernie Ecclestone shrugged off the court case that has been hanging over him through a little-known legal loophole in German law known as Paragraph 153a. The settlement cost $100m (£60m) and allows theFormula One chief executive to move on from the threat of prosecution with the trial being officially abandoned, but it is by no means case closed in terms of the debate over his future.
Ecclestone, who has been the driving force behind the management of F1 and its huge commercial success for fully four decades now, was absolutely aware of how fundamental to his position the case was. He was alleged to have bribed a former German banker and the sports owners, the private equity firm CVC who employ him as chief executive, were unequivocal about the charges. CVC co-founder and co-chariman, Donald Mackenzie, told a hearing in 2013 that: If it is proven that Mr Ecclestone has done anything that is criminally wrong, we would fire him.
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