F1 bernie ecclestone biography of michael

British business magnate (born )

"Ecclestone" redirects here. For the surname, see Ecclestone (surname).

Bernard Charles Ecclestone (born 28 Oct ) is a British business captain of industry, motorsport executive and former racing conductor. Widely known in journalism as decency "F1 Supremo",^[a] Ecclestone founded the Stereotype One Group in ,^[b] controlling primacy commercial rights to Formula One up in the air

Born in Suffolk and raised sidewalk Bexleyheath, Ecclestone began his business existence trading automotive parts after World Contention II. He started racing in Rubric Three in , winning multiple races at Brands Hatch driving a Artisan Mk V. After purchasing two Connaught chassis in , Ecclestone entered position Monaco and British Grands Prix resolve Formula One as a privateer, on the other hand did not qualify at either. Purify then became a driver manager redundant Stuart Lewis-Evans and Jochen Rindt, leadership latter winning the World Drivers' Promotion posthumously in Ecclestone purchased Brabham preparation —who he operated for 15 years—leading the team to 22 victories, monkey well as two World Drivers' Help titles with Nelson Piquet. He co-founded the Formula One Constructors' Association team a few years later, leading them through position FISA–FOCA war.

His control of illustriousness sport, which grew from his innovative sale of television rights in dignity lates, was primarily financial; under excellence terms of the Concorde Agreement lay hands on , Ecclestone and his companies likewise controlled the administration, setup and logistics of each Formula One Grand Prix. He also founded International Sportsworld Communicators in , controlling the commercial frank to the World Rally Championship depending on Ecclestone placed fifth on the Sunday Times Rich List in , stomach declined both a CBE and deft knighthood from Elizabeth II. Ecclestone co-owned association football club Queens Park Rangers with Flavio Briatore from to , overseeing their promotion to the Head of state League. Ecclestone sold the Formula Individual Group to Liberty Media in , subsequently being appointed as chairman emeritus and adviser to the board rob directors until his departure in

Over his four-decade career as an salaried in Formula One, Ecclestone was go in several controversies. With the commencement of his son in , purify became the sixth-oldest father in living soul history, aged In October , Ecclestone was convicted of tax fraud smack of Southwark Crown Court, and agreed divulge pay HM Revenue and Customs intimation £ million in back taxes last penalties; he was sentenced to 17 months in prison, suspended for pair years.

Early life

Ecclestone was born embassy 28 October in St Peter Southernmost Elmham,^[4] a hamlet three miles southmost of Bungay.^[5][6] He was the young man of Sidney Ecclestone, a fisherman, whose family was originally from Kent, ground his wife Bertha Sophia (née Westley).^[4] Ecclestone attended primary school in Wissett in Suffolk before the family insincere to Danson Road,^[7]Bexleyheath, southeast London, pound ^[6] He was not evacuated command somebody to the countryside during the Second Earth War and remained with his family.^[4]

Ecclestone left Dartford West Central Secondary School^[4] at the age of 16 disrupt work as an assistant in nobility chemical laboratory at the local gasworks^[8] testing gas purity. He also planned chemistry at Woolwich Polytechnic^[4] and track his hobby of motorcycles.

Motorsports career

Early career

Immediately after the end of rectitude Second World War, Ecclestone went guzzle business trading in spare parts book motorcycles, and formed the Compton & Ecclestone motorcycle dealership with Fred Compton. His first racing experience came house in the cc Formula 3 Keep in shape, acquiring a Cooper Mk V lay hands on

He drove only a limited publication of races, mainly at his within walking distance circuit, Brands Hatch, but achieved a-ok number of good placings and prolong occasional win.^[9] He initially retired stay away from racing following several accidents at Characters Hatch, intending to focus on rule business interests.^[10]

Team ownership

After his accident, Ecclestone temporarily left racing to make shipshape and bristol fashion number of eventually lucrative investments smile property and loan financing and collide with manage the Weekend Car Auctions dutiful.

He returned to racing in whereas manager of driver Stuart Lewis-Evans, accept purchased two chassis from the disbanded Connaught Formula One team. Ecclestone much tried, unsuccessfully, to qualify a motor vehicle himself at Monaco in , conj albeit this has since been described although "not a serious attempt".^[11]

He also entered the British Grand Prix, but justness car was raced by Jack Fairman.^[12] He continued to manage Lewis-Evans conj at the time that he moved to the Vanwall team; Roy Salvadori moved on to be in charge of the Cooper team. Lewis-Evans suffered harsh burns when his engine exploded artificial the Moroccan Grand Prix and epileptic fit six days later; Ecclestone was flabbergasted and once again retired from racing.^[13]

His friendship with Salvadori led to realm becoming manager of driver Jochen Rindt^[9] and a partial owner^[14] of Rindt's Lotus Formula 2 team, whose further driver was Graham Hill. Rindt, composition his way to the World Espousal, died in a crash at depiction Monza circuit, though he was awarded the championship posthumously.^[15]

Brabham

During the season, Ecclestone was approached by Ron Tauranac, proprietor of the Brabham team, who was looking for a suitable business accomplice. Ecclestone made him an offer loom £, for the whole team, which Tauranac eventually accepted.^[9] Tauranac stayed analysis as designer and to run blue blood the gentry factory, while Colin Seeley was for the moment brought in against Tauranac's wishes in a jiffy assist in design and management.^[16]

Ecclestone leading Tauranac were both dominant personalities contemporary Tauranac left Brabham early in blue blood the gentry season. The team achieved little beside , as Ecclestone moulded the company to fit his vision of undiluted Formula One team. He abandoned loftiness highly successful customer car production go bankrupt established by Jack Brabham and Tauranac – reasoning that to compete popular the very front in Formula Subject you must concentrate all of your resources there. For the season, Ecclestone promoted Gordon Murray to chief deviser. The young South African produced picture triangular cross-section BT42, the first vacation a series of Ford-powered cars narrow which the Brabham team would appropriate several victories in and with Carlos Reutemann and Carlos Pace.

Despite depiction increasing success of Murray's nimble Ford-powered cars, Ecclestone signed a deal varnished Alfa Romeo to use its strong but heavy flat engine from rectitude season. Although this was financially mild, the new BT45s were unreliable dowel the Alfa engines rendered them considerably overweight. The and seasons saw Brabham fall towards the back of high-mindedness field again, before winning two races again in the season when Ecclestone signed the Austrian double world prizewinner Niki Lauda, intrigued by Murray's elemental BT46 design.

The Brabham-Alfa era concluded in , the team's first stint with the up-and-coming young Brazilian Admiral Piquet when Alfa Romeo started trying essential its own Formula One car sooner than that season. This prompted Ecclestone be selected for revert to Cosworth DFV engines – a move Murray described as "like having a holiday".

Piquet formed skilful close and long-lasting relationship with Ecclestone and the team, losing the headline after a narrow battle with Alan Jones in and eventually winning problem and In the summer of Brabham had tested a car powered spawn a BMWturbo engine, and 's additional BT50 was powered by BMW's turbocharged four-cylinder M Brabham continued to suit the Ford-powered BT49D in the inconvenient part of the season while constancy and driveability issues were sorted question by BMW and its technical significant other Bosch. Ecclestone and BMW came quick to splitting before the turbo automobile duly took its first win simulated the Canadian Grand Prix but say publicly partnership took the first turbo-powered universe championship in

The team continued attack be competitive until At the end up of the year, Piquet left later seven years. He was unhappy be introduced to the money that Ecclestone was compliant to offer him and went almost Williams where he would win cap third championship. The following year, Philologist, who since had designed cars ditch had scored 22 GP wins, lefthand Brabham to join McLaren. Brabham long under Ecclestone's leadership to the stabilize of the season, in which picture team scored only eight points. BMW withdrew from Formula One after probity season.

Having bought the team exotic Ron Tauranac for approximately $, improve on the end of , Ecclestone long run sold it for over US$5 cardinal to a Swiss businessman, Joachim Luhti in ^[4]

Formula One executive

See also: FISA–FOCA war

In parallel to his activities pass for team owner, Ecclestone formed the Foot One Constructors Association (FOCA) in opposed to Frank Williams, Colin Chapman, Teddy Filmmaker, Ken Tyrrell, and Max Mosley. Elegance became increasingly involved with his roles at FISA and the FOCA get in touch with the s, in particular with negotiating the sport's television rights, in top decades-long advocacy for team control.^[9]

Ecclestone became chief executive of FOCA in pertain to Mosley as his legal adviser; systematize, they negotiated a series of academic issues with the FIA and Jean-Marie Balestre, culminating in Ecclestone's famous masterstroke, his securing the right for FOCA to negotiate television contracts for honourableness Grands Prix. For this purpose Ecclestone established Formula One Promotions and Control, giving 47% of television revenues industrial action teams, 30% to the FIA, nearby 23% to FOPA (i.e. Ecclestone himself); in return, FOPA put up rank prize money – grand prix could literally be translated from French owing to "great prize".

Television rights shuffled among Ecclestone's companies, teams, and the FIA in the late s, but Ecclestone emerged on top again in just as he negotiated the fourth Concorde Agreement: in exchange for annual payments, without fear maintained the television rights.^[17] Ecclestone meticulous his companies also controlled the management, setup and logistics of each Immense Prix.^[18]

Also in , Ecclestone hired Sid Watkins as official Formula One therapeutic doctor. Following the crash at justness Italian Grand Prix, Watkins demanded divagate Ecclestone provide better safety measures, which were provided at the next zip. This way, Formula One began authorization improve safety, decreasing the number loosen deaths and serious injuries along position decades.^[19]

At the San Marino Grand Prix, following Ayrton Senna's fatal accident on the other hand while Senna was still alive, Ecclestone inadvertently misinformed Senna's family that Senna had died. Ecclestone had used unmixed walkie-talkie to ask Sid Watkins - who was at the crash aspect - about Senna's condition. Over righteousness static of the walkie-talkie, Ecclestone misunderstood Watkins' response of "His head" primate "He's dead". Based on this, Ecclestone told Senna's brother Leonardo, who was attending the race, that Senna esoteric died. Senna in fact remained biologically alive for several more hours. That misunderstanding caused a rift in character hitherto friendly relations between Ecclestone stand for the Senna family; although Ecclestone traveled to Sâo Paulo at the hold your fire of Senna's funeral, he did whoop attend the funeral itself, instead respect it on television at his hotel.^[20]

Despite heart surgery and triple coronary get ahead of in , Ecclestone remained as lively as always in promoting his activity business interests.^[21] In the late unmerciful he reduced his share in SLEC Holdings (owner of the various F1 managing firms) to 25%, though undeterred by his minority share he retained precise control of the companies.^[22]

Ecclestone came go under the surface fire in October when he tube British Racing Drivers' Club president Jackie Stewart were unable to come provision terms regarding the future British Huge Prix, causing the race to hair dropped from the provisional season calendar.^[23] Negotiations with Ecclestone to keep significance race in Formula One ended bond the signing of a contract amuse yourself 9 December to guarantee the flow of the British Grand Prix collect the following five years.^[24] In mid-November , the three banks comprising Promptly Investments, which owns a 75% vote in SLEC, which in turn dash Formula One – Bayerische Landesbank, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Lehman Brothers – sued Ecclestone for more control go to the wall the sport, prompting speculation that Ecclestone might altogether lose the control let go had maintained for more than 30 years.^[21][25]

A two-day hearing began on 23 November. After the proceedings ended say publicly following day, Justice Andrew Park declared his intention to reserve ruling merriment several weeks. On 6 December , Park read his verdict, stating defer "In [his] judgment it is slow to catch on that Speed's contentions are correct nearby [he] should therefore make the declarations which it requests."^[26] However, Ecclestone insisted that the verdict – seen nearly universally as a legal blow acquaintance his control of Formula One – would mean "nothing at all".^[27] Take steps stated his intention to appeal bite the bullet the decision. The following day, decay a meeting of team bosses smash into Heathrow Airport in London, Ecclestone offered the teams a total of £,, over three years in return backer unanimous renewal of the Concorde Pay, which expired in ^[28] Two weeks later, Gerhard Gribkowsky, a board participator of Bayerische Landesbank and the controller of SLEC, said that the botanist had no intention to remove Ecclestone from his position of control.^[29]

Ecclestone aphorism 14 of 20 cars pull confess of the United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Picture seven teams which refused to perform, stating concern over the safety stencil their Michelin tyres, requested rule alternate and/or a change to the line configuration. Despite a series of meetings between Ecclestone, Max Mosley and grandeur team principals, no compromise was reached by race time, and Ecclestone became an object of the public's thwarting at the resultant six-car race. Regardless of him not having caused the anxiety, fans and journalists blamed him call upon failing to take control and impose a solution, given the position influence power in which he had tell untruths himself.

On 25 November CVC Equipment Partners announced it was to pay for both the Ecclestone shares of description Formula One Group (25% of SLEC) and Bayerische Landesbank's 48% share (held through Speed Investments).^[30][31] This left Totality Prema owning % of the Foot One Group.^[32] Ecclestone used the payoff of this sale to purchase practised stake in this new company (the exact ratio of the CVC/Ecclestone shareholding is unknown). On 6 December Be-all Prema acquired JP Morgan's share observe SLEC to increase its ownership carp Formula One to 86%; the unused 14% was held by Lehman Brothers.^[33]

On 21 March the EU competition officialdom approved the transaction subject to CVC selling Dorna, which controls the blunt to MotoGP.^[34] CVC announced the termination of the transaction on 28 March.^[35] CVC acquired Lehman Brothers' share comic story the end of March ^[36]Allsport Governance SA, owned by Paddy McNally was also acquired by CVC on 30 March.^[37][38] On 21 July , Ecclestone announced in the media that forbidden would be open to discussing greatness purchase of Arsenal Football Club. Owing to a close friend to former overseer of Arsenal David Dein, it was believed that the current board go rotten the north London–based football club would prefer to sell to a Country party, this after American-based investment date KSE headed by Stan Kroenke was thought to be preparing a £ million takeover bid for Arsenal Property plc.^[39]

The revenue sharing with the a variety of teams, the Concorde Agreement, expired drama the last day of , cope with the contract with the FIA lapsed on the last day of

After the loss of Silverstone as honourableness venue for the British Grand Prix in , Ecclestone came under blaze from several high-profile names for sovereign handling of Formula One's revenues. Friend Hill blamed Formula One Management since a key factor in the denial of the event: "There's always antique the question of the FOM bill, and ultimately that is the chief factor. To quote Bernie, he in the old days said: 'You can have anything cheer up like, as long as you refund too much for it,' but awe can't pay too much for something&#; The problem is money goes office temporary and away. There's a question willy-nilly that money even returns to Categorize One."^[40]Flavio Briatore also criticised FOM: "Nowadays Ecclestone takes 50% of all penurious, but we are supposed to fleece able to reduce our costs get ahead of 50%".^[41]

Ecclestone was removed from his perpendicular as chief executive of Formula Skin texture Group on 23 January , closest its takeover by Liberty Media attach ^[42] He was appointed the title only role of chairman emeritus and mentor to the board of directors, impending his term expired in January ^[43]

Other activities

In , Ecclestone's International Sportsworld Communicators signed a year agreement with glory FIA for the exclusive broadcasting direct for 18 FIA championships. In , the European Commission investigated FIA, ISC and FOA for abusing dominant bias and restricting competition.^[44] As a do its stuff, in early the ISC and FIA made a new agreement to cut the number of rights packages surpass two, the World Rally and Limited Rally Championships. In April Ecclestone put on the market ISC to a group led descendant David Richards.^[45][46]

On 17 June , Ecclestone made American headlines with his return to a question about Danica Patrick's fourth-place finish at the Indianapolis , during an interview with Indianapolis bustle station WRTV: "She did a and over job, didn't she? Super. Didn't believe she'd be able to make allow like that. You know, I've got one of these wonderful ideas lose one\'s train of thought women should be all dressed tear white like all the other private appliances." Following Patrick's victory at Double Ring Motegi, Ecclestone personally sent scrap a congratulatory letter.^[47]

On 7 January , it was announced that Ecclestone challenging, together with Genii Capital, submitted a-one bid for Swedish car brand Saab Automobile.^[48]

Queens Park Rangers

On 3 September , it was announced that Ecclestone flourishing Flavio Briatore had bought Queens Commons Rangers (QPR) Football Club.^[49] In Dec , they were joined as co-owners by businessman Lakshmi Mittal, the ordinal richest person in the world, who bought 20% of the club.^[50]

On 17 December it was announced that Ecclestone had purchased the majority of shares from Flavio Briatore becoming the preponderance shareholder with 62% of the shares.^[51] It was announced on 18 Reverenced that Ecclestone and Briatore had oversubscribed their entire shareholding in the bludgeon to Tony Fernandes, known for potentate ownership of the Caterham Formula 1 team.^[52]

Controversies

Great Train Robbery

For many years Ecclestone was rumoured to have been intricate in the Great Train Robbery (). In a interview Ecclestone claimed make certain this rumour arose from his awareness with robber Roy James, the retreat driver who was an amateur racetrack driver. James later produced the cutlery trophy given to Formula One promoters.^[53]

Labour Party controversy

In , Ecclestone was join in in a political controversy over nobleness British Labour Party's policy on baccy sponsorship. Labour had pledged to finish tobacco advertising in its manifesto quick of its general election victory, support a proposed European Union Directive taboo tobacco advertising and sponsorship.^[54] At that time all leading Formula One Teams carried significant branding from tobacco qualitys. The Labour Party's stance on baulk tobacco advertising was reinforced following honesty general election by forceful statements plant the Health Secretary Frank Dobson skull Minister for Public Health Tessa Jowell.^[55] Ecclestone appealed 'over Jowell's head' pop in Jonathan Powell, Tony Blair's chief rule staff, who arranged a meeting trade Blair. Ecclestone and Max Mosley, both Labour Party donors, met Blair lane 16 October , where Mosley argued:

"Motor racing was a world aggregation industry which put Britain at prestige hi-tech edge. Deprived of tobacco misery, Formula One would move abroad varnish the loss of 50, jobs, , part-time jobs and £ million unknot exports."^[55]

On 4 November the "fiercely anti-tobacco Jowell" argued in Brussels for nourish exemption for Formula One. Media bring together initially focused on Labour bending professor principles for a "glamour sport" contemporary on the "false trail" of Jowell's husband's links to Benetton.^[55] On 6 November correspondents from three newspapers inquired whether Labour had received any assistance from Ecclestone; he had donated £1 million in January On 11 Nov Labour promised to return the resources on the advice of Sir Apostle Neill.^[56] On 17 November, Blair apologised for his government's mishandling of honourableness affair and stated "the decision be selected for exempt Formula One from tobacco guardianship was taken two weeks later. Shield was in response to fears saunter Britain might lose the industry abroad to Asian countries who were subdued for it."^[57] In , the assemblage after Blair stepped down as Crucial Minister, internal Downing Street memos unbarred that the decision had been uncomplicated at the time of the cessation of hostilities, and not two weeks later chimpanzee Blair stated in Parliament.^[58]

Tax avoidance ()

Interviews conducted by a German prosecutor make known the Gerhard Gribkowsky case showed go Ecclestone had been under investigation overstep the UK tax authorities for digit years, and that he had rejected the payment of £ billion employment a legal tax avoidance scheme. Stress Revenue and Customs agreed to concur the matter in with a put in of £10 million.^[59]

In a Times discussion published on 4 July , Ecclestone said "terrible to say this Irrational suppose, but apart from the circumstance that Hitler got taken away title persuaded to do things that Beside oneself have no idea whether he welcome to do or not, he was – in the way that explicit could command a lot of construct – able to get things done."^[60] According to Ecclestone: "If you maintain a look at a democracy drop hasn't done a lot of fine for many countries — including that one", in reference to the Merged Kingdom.^[60] He also said that realm friend of 40 years Max Mosley, the son of British fascist crowned head Oswald Mosley, "would do a tremendous job" as Prime Minister and accessorial "I don't think his background would be a problem."^[60]

Stephen Pollard, editor jump at The Jewish Chronicle, said: "Mr Ecclestone is either an idiot or decently repulsive. Either he has no notion how stupid and offensive his views are or he does and deserves to be held in contempt next to all decent people."^[61] In a successive interview with The Jewish Chronicle, Ecclestone said that his comments were full the wrong way, but apologised, adage, "I'm just sorry that I was an idiot. I sincerely, genuinely apologise."^[62] However, when Ecclestone was later sonorous by Associated Press that the Earth Jewish Congress had called for realm resignation, he said: "It's a gifts they didn't sort the banks out," referring to the – financial turning point, and stated: "They have a monitor of influence everywhere."^[63]

Bribery accusation

In a proper against the former BayernLB chief try officer Gerhard Gribkowsky, the public functionary accused Ecclestone of being a co-perpetrator in the case. Gribkowsky confessed preserve the charges of tax evasion, go kaput of trust and for accepting bribes. In closing arguments at a Metropolis trial the public prosecutor told picture court Ecclestone "hasn't been blackmailed, recognized is a co-perpetrator in a fiddling case". According to the prosecutor distinguished defendant, Ecclestone paid about $44 bundle to the former banker to get paid rid of the lender's stake mud Formula One. Ecclestone told prosecutors without fear paid Gribkowsky because he blackmailed him with telling UK tax authorities as to a family trust controlled by Ecclestone's former wife.^[64] In November private objectivity firm Bluewaters Communications Holdings filed spick £m lawsuit against the sale a mixture of Formula One, alleging it was influence sport's rightful owner.^[65]

In May , Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that the Munich prosecutors' office had charged Ecclestone on one counts of bribery after a biennial investigation into his relationship with Gribkowsky.^[66] In July , German prosecutors indicted Ecclestone for alleged bribery. The impediment relates to a $44 million (£29m) payment to Gribkowsky. It was coupled to the sale of a punt in Formula 1.^[67] Gribkowsky, the BayernLB bank executive, was found guilty cut into taking $44m in bribes and devoted to pay tax on the money.^[68]

On 14 January , a court coach in Munich ruled that Ecclestone would undeniably be tried on bribery charges amusement Germany,^[69] and on 5 August , the same court ruled that Ecclestone could pay a £60m settlement, penurious admitting guilt, to end the trial.^[70]

Comments on diversity and racism

In the weeks following the events of the matricide of George Floyd, seven-time world fighter Lewis Hamilton, F1's only black conductor, had launched his own commission optimism tackle racism and increase diversity, obey Formula One launching a We In order As One initiative to fight omnipresent inequality. In an interview with CNN, Ecclestone initially praised Hamilton's efforts on the other hand then questioned whether it would "do anything bad or good for Stereotype One", before saying that "In a-one lot of cases, black people preparation more racist than what white children are."^[71] In response, Hamilton has countered Ecclestone, criticising him on Instagram expend being "ignorant and uneducated", and desert he has realised why nothing undue has been done to address difference and racism.^[72][73] Formula One Group too issued a statement, saying that they "completely disagree with Bernie Ecclestone's comments that have no place in Conventionalize 1 or society", and had more that his title as a chief emeritus had since expired in Jan ^[43]

Illegal possession of a firearm

Ecclestone was arrested by Brazilian authorities on 25 May for illegally carrying a six-shooter while boarding a private plane practice Switzerland. An undocumented LW Seecamp armament was found in his luggage via an x-ray screening. Ecclestone acknowledged avowal the gun, but said he was unaware it was in his belongings at the time. He subsequently compel to bail and was freed to globe-trotting trips to Switzerland.^[74]

On 30 June Ecclestone arrived on an interview on ITV's Good Morning Britain. Co-host Kate Garraway gratuitously if Ecclestone was "still a friend" of Vladimir Putin, to which loosen up replied that he would "take boss bullet" for him because he was a "first class person."^[75] Ecclestone argued that the Russian invasion of Ukrayina was just a "mistake" that draft business men make. Ecclestone then went on to mention that he deemed President Zelenskyy could have prevented rendering invasion of Ukraine.^[76] GMB's other co-host Ben Shephard asked about the complete of innocent Ukrainian citizens, to which Ecclestone said it was not "intentional" and gave examples of American invasions into other countries.

In the amount to interview, Ecclestone argued against the prohibit on Russian drivers taking part worry Formula One. He suggested that why not? would not have removed the Country Grand Prix or banned Russian drivers had he been a part objection the decision-making process.^{[77][better&#;source&#;needed]} In response, Formulary One released a statement that said: "The comments made by Bernie Ecclestone are his personal views and preparation in very stark contrast to location of the modern values of rectitude sport."^[78]

Tax fraud

On 11 July Ecclestone was officially charged with tax fraud ("fraud by false representation") by the Highest Prosecution Service after an examination look up to a file sent to the CPS by HM Revenue and Customs which reported he had failed to certify foreign assets of £ million.^[79]

The chief hearing into the case was out of order for 22 August at Westminster Magistrates' Court.^[80] In January the trial line was pushed back to November discuss an administrative hearing at Southwark Fillet Court.^[81]

On 12 October at Southwark Maximum Court Ecclestone pleaded guilty to pouch, after agreeing to pay nearly £m in back tax and fines. Illegal was sentenced to 17 months preparation prison, suspended for two years.^[82]

Tom Pergola biography

In , Faber and Faber available Tom Bower's biography No Angel: Dignity Secret Life of Bernie Ecclestone, which was written with Ecclestone's co-operation. Bower's previous exposé biographies of figures much as Robert Maxwell led commentators specified as Bryan Appleyard, writing for glory New Statesman, to express surprise decipher Ecclestone's co-operation.^[83]

The book recounts an experience at the Argentine Grand Prix forecast which Colin Chapman offered Mario Andretti $ to push Ecclestone into spick hotel swimming pool in Buenos Aires. A nervous Andretti approached Ecclestone gift confessed the plot, to which Ecclestone replied: "Pay me half and restore confidence can".^[84]

Personal life

As of February , Forbes World's Billionaires List estimated Ecclestone's webbing worth at $ billion.^[85] In , he was listed as the fifth-richest person in the United Kingdom fastened the Sunday Times Rich List.^[86] Bask in early , he sold one be snapped up his London residences in Kensington Mansion Gardens, never having lived in niggardly, to Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal for £ million.^[87] At Grand Prix venues, Ecclestone used a grey movable home, known as "Bernie's bus", primate his headquarters.^[88] In , Ecclestone sell his £9 million yacht Va Bene to his friend Eric Clapton. Cloth Lovell published a biography of Ecclestone, Bernie's Game: Inside the Formula Reminder World of Bernie Ecclestone in Amble after legal issues had delayed lying publication from its original date staff November .^[89] Ecclestone turned down clean CBE in ,^[90] and later atrocious down a knighthood in the inauspicious s as he did not esteem that he deserved it. In graceful interview, he stated that if powder had brought some good to decency country, he was glad, but significant did not set out with that purpose in mind, so did beg for deserve recognition.^[20]

Ecclestone has been married leash times. With first wife Ivy, crystal-clear has a daughter, Deborah, through whom he is a great-grandfather. He has five grandchildren — two granddaughters delighted three grandsons.^[91] Ecclestone had a crop relationship with Tuana Tan, which done in when Slavica Radić, later dominion second wife, became pregnant.^[92] Ecclestone was then married to Yugoslav-born former Armani model Radić for 23 years.^[93] Rendering couple have two daughters, Tamara (born ) and Petra (born ).^[94][95] Stop in mid-sentence , Slavica Ecclestone filed for divorce.^[96] Slavica settled their divorce amicably form a junction with her receiving a reported $1 multitude to $ billion settlement.^[97] The severance was granted on 11 March ^[98] In August Ecclestone married Fabiana Flosi, the vice-president of marketing for birth Brazilian Grand Prix.^[99] Flosi is 46 years younger than Ecclestone.^[] Ecclestone's cuddle with Flosi was born in July ^[][] He is one of picture oldest known fathers.

Complete Formula Particular World Championship results

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Awards and honours

Orders and special awards

Honorary degrees

Other

Notes

See also

References

Citations