Ecclestone: How he ended up in a Munich court
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone found himself testifying in a Munich courtroom over the Gerhard Gribkowsky affair. Tom O'Keefe looks at the history of F1's commercial rights ownership and considers what might happen next
Bernie Ecclestone is a man used to answering questions.
On the Sunday morning of each grand prix, no matter what exotic locale the F1 grid finds itself, he walks with local officials, kings, princes or celebrities in tow, introducing the good and the great to the drivers and to each other. All the while simultaneously responding to questions from the press corps about the events of the week: who is up, who is down, is the Bahrain race on or not, and will we have anemically teeny four-cylinder turbos or lusty V8s?
Ecclestone's mastery with the media is almost as legendary as his mastery of money. He tells you only what he wants you to know. Sometimes he answers like the Delphic Oracle - "let's see what happens" - and sometimes with words that cut to the quick when a business rival has to be disciplined.
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