Bernie Ecclestone has tipped the criminal bribery trial, set to begin in Munich in late April, to end before it even begins. "Bet you it doesn't happen," the F1 chief executive, in London last Friday for a charity photograph auction called 'Zoom', said.
Until then, despite the fact he has officially stepped down from the sport's board, it is business as usual -- and key ally Christian Horner, the Red Bull team boss, sees challenges ahead for F1 that Ecclestone must tackle. "Formula one needs him more than ever at the moment," Horner said at the same event.
There was also a friendly needling between the pair, when the charity photograph taken by Horner was revealed to be a shot of one of his donkeys. Ecclestone joked: "I thought it was a picture of your (Horner's) new car!" Horner, however, hit back at Red Bull's troubled engine supplier. "My donkeys have more power than a Renault at the moment," he joked.
More seriously, Ecclestone and Horner disagree fundamentally about the sport's incoming budget cap, despite reports recently the proposal could collapse.
Horner and world champion team Red Bull's supremo Dietrich Mateschitz have made clear they oppose the plan, but Ecclestone said in London: "We have approved the budget cap. It is going to happen. Everyone agreed to $200 million," he told F1 business journalist Christian Sylt, according to the Express newspaper. "What hasn't been agreed is what is in the $200 million. Unless we include everything, I am sure people will find ways around it. It's going to be difficult."
But Ecclestone does have a plan to minimising cheating, by offering a EUR 1 million reward to whistleblowers. "We will then say to the team that the following year you will lose three of the maximum points you have scored. Then let's see if they want to cheat," he explained. (GMM)
Ecclestone bets bribery trial will not happen
- Published on 10 Feb 2014 08:41
-
0
- By: Rob Veenstra
.
Trending news
-
Verstappen's Worst Season Start in Ten Years: The Numbers Behind the SlumpThree races in, Max Verstappen has twelve points and sits ninth in the world championship. By his own exceptional sta...
03 Apr 2026 16:14 -
Drivers' WhatsApp Group Has "Exploded" as GPDA Confirms Widespread Frustration With 2026 RulesThe discontent among Formula 1 drivers over the 2026 regulations is not a Max Verstappen problem. It is a paddock-wid...
03 Apr 2026 14:58 -
Windsor Predicts Verstappen Will Leave F1: "The Rules Have Reduced Him to an Ordinary Driver"Peter Windsor has gone further than most analysts in his assessment of Max Verstappen's future. The veteran journ...
03 Apr 2026 13:57 -
Reconstruction: Antonelli Is Creating a Verstappen-Style Culture Shock at MercedesFormula 1 appears to have a new prodigy. Andrea Kimi Antonelli has won his first two races in China and Japan, taken ...
03 Apr 2026 12:58 -
Argentina Is Seriously Pursuing a Return to the Formula 1 CalendarFranco Colapinto has done something for Argentine motorsport that no amount of marketing could replicate: he has made...
03 Apr 2026 11:56
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
Test calendar
Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing
-
Jan 26
I. Hadjar
- 1:18.159
-
-
-
Jan 27
M. Verstappen
- 1:19.578
-
-
-
Jan 28
A. Antonelli
- 1:17.362
-
-
-
Jan 29
G. Russell
- 1:16.445
-
-
-
Jan 30
L. Hamilton
- 1:16.348
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 11
L. Norris
- 1:34.669
-
-
-
Feb 12
C. Leclerc
- 1:34.273
-
-
-
Feb 13
A. Antonelli
- 1:33.669
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 18
G. Russell
- 1:33.459
-
-
Feb 19
A. Antonelli
- 1:32.803
-
-
Feb 20
C. Leclerc
- 1:31.992
-
-
World Championship standings 2026
Pos
Driver
Team
Points
Pos
Team
Points
Related news
Give your opinion!
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
Team profile
- Team name Renault
- Base Enstone, France
- Fernando Alonso 1
- Daniel Ricciardo 3
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Fernando Alonso 7
- Romain Grosjean 8
- Fernando Alonso 8
- Fernando Alonso 8
- Pastor Maldonado 13
- Jenson Button 15
- Kevin Magnussen 20
- Nico Hülkenberg 27
- Jolyon Palmer 30
- Esteban Ocon 31
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
- 236,925 comments on Renault
26 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Renault
Replies (0)
Login to reply