user icon
icon

Ecclestone bets bribery trial will not happen

link-icon
<< Return to the news list
Ecclestone bets bribery trial will not happen
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)
F1 News Renault

Replies (0)

Login to reply

AZ Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Local time 

AZAzerbaijan Grand Prix

Local time 

More news

Test calendar

Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing

Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing

Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing

See full test schedule

World Championship standings 2026

Pos
Team
Points
1
Mercedes
219
2
Ferrari
149
3
McLaren
106
4
Red Bull Racing
57
5
Alpine F1
33
6
Racing Bulls
21
7
Haas F1
19
8
Williams
7
9
Audi
2
Show full world champion standings

Related news

Give your opinion!

Will Bottas challenge Hamilton for the world championship in 2020?

Formula 1 Calendar - 2026

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
China
Shanghai International Circuit
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
See full schedule

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
China Shanghai International Circuit
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
See full schedule

Team profile

Renault
Renault
Show full profile
show sidebar