What was Ecclestone’s defence?
He initially denied any knowledge of the payments, but later changed his
story, telling the Munich court that he had been “shaken down” by
Gribkowksy, who had threatened to go to HM Revenue Customs with “false
evidence” that Ecclestone was more involved in the running of his family
trust than he should have been. Evidently the Munich prosecutor did not
believe him.
Can Ecclestone survive as chief executive of Formula One given this latest
development?
That is the big question. In most sports it would be difficult to imagine a
chief executive remaining in power with these sorts of charges swirling
about. But Formula One is not most sports – and Ecclestone is not most men.
Negotiations over a new Concorde Agreement – the commercial pact which binds
F1 – are still ongoing, making the situation extremely delicate. Ferrari
president Luca di Montezemolo has said in the past, though, that he would
expect Ecclestone to stand down “in the interests of the sport” should he be
charged.
So what happens next?
Ecclestone has until mid-August to respond to the indictment, with a trial
date unlikely to be set until mid-September. Whether he jumps or is pushed
in the meantime remains to be seen. Ecclestone admitted last year that this
saga could spell the end for him. “CVC will probably be forced to get rid of
me if the Germans come after me,” he said in December.