Nuerburgring (Germany): Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed making a payment to a former German banker who has since been charged with breach of trust and tax evasion.
However the 80-year-old Briton told a small group of reporters at the German Grand Prix on Saturday that he had made a statement to investigators and was not concerned about his position.
Former Bayern LB banker Gerhard Gribkowsky was arrested in January in relation to the 2006 sale of his bank`s 48 percent stake in Formula One to current rights holders CVC and alleged payments to him of $50 million.
"I made a payment," Ecclestone said. "Nothing to do with shares.”
"What happened was at the time we thought the right thing to do. I was advised it was the right thing to do. I`ve been to the prosecutors I have given them the statement."
Ecclestone said he did not expect the German authorities to enter the paddock at the Nuerburgring to speak to him further.
"There is a lot of people under investigation and it is different being under investigation than being charged. What will happen now is that all the information will be given to the court to decide," he said.
"No, I`m not concerned. I wouldn`t be here. Wait until you see the truth then you will know exactly how it was."
Ecclestone`s decades-long control of the sport had been threatened by rumblings of a bid by Rupert Murdoch`s News Corp, currently embroiled in a phone-hacking scandal, but the F1 boss dismissed any rumours of a sale.
"I don`t think there ever were (serious attempts at a bid). The first thing he should have done was to find out if the company was for sale, which he forgot to do," Ecclestone added.
"I spoke to James (Murdoch) about them suggesting they are going to buy us. Rupert`s been busy."
Ecclestone was speaking at a briefing about the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka on Oct. 9 following the country`s Fukushima nuclear disaster in March.
MotoGP riders Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner have refused to attend the motorcycle grand prix at Motegi, much nearer the nuclear power plant than Suzuka which Ecclestone believes is totally safe.
"The people who are running the race take the responsiblity. I don`t think people would ask everyone to go there if it wasn`t safe," he said flicking through a 24-page dossier examining radiation levels at Suzuka.
"We have to take advice from people that should know that there is no problem. If somebody said to me `Look, we don`t know maybe there`ll be a problem`, I`ll tell you 100 percent, I would advise people not to go but that is not what is being said.”
"I`m going to buy 3,000 tickets to the race and invite 3,000 people."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.