Bernie Ecclestone indicted

[Woolley]

We can but hope...

[b1ackcr0w]

Looking at the wider picture. There's a fair degree of dissatisfaction internationally that no bankers, industrialists or other monied folk were jailed for the worldwide banking crisis. I do wonder if Bernie might become a bit of a patsie against that.

He tried to bribe a German bank. Which was particularly silly, seeing as they are so powerful at the moment, and will undoubtedly fight very hard to protect the image of their banking sector.

Even if he doesn't get banged up, unless he gets acquitted on all charges, and nothing too damaging gets revealed in the trial, this will weaken his position significantly.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by wolfhound

I seem to remember him creating hot water for labour with donations a few years ago.

That was to do with donations of £1m to New Labour to exempt F1 from the EU ban on tobacco sponsorship in 1997, after they won the general election that year. It all came out in the wash in 2008, after Blair quit as PM.

[Paradise City]

Worse comes to the worst, he can decamp to Bahrain and run his empire in semi-retirement from there. He can even visit the Asia-Pacific races if he so chose. I think he'll wriggle out of it a legally innocent man, I dunno how though. You will not see that man in prison that's for sure.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

if it looks like duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck....

It could be Michael Winslow from the Police Academy movies impersonating a duck

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

As dangerous an assertion as I have ever seen.

Bernie may well not go to jail. However, it is looking increasingly likely that he may well be up against it.

Awesome

So who runs F1 in his absence, whether it is short or long term?

Or can this be avoided simply by not going to Germany any time soon

[F1Pete]

Will F1 survive without Bernie?

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by F1Pete

Will F1 survive without Bernie?

Yes.

Of course it will.
It may even change for the better....

[wnut]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Awesome

So who runs F1 in his absence, whether it is short or long term?

Or can this be avoided simply by not going to Germany any time soon

Doesn't the Euro zone have extradition treaties?

I believe Venezuela is very nice!

Best he books early!

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by F1Pete

Will F1 survive without Bernie?

Good question.

Originally Posted by Teretonga

Yes.

Of course it will.
It may even change for the better....

Or it may be worse.

One thing is for sure, you can't rely on the teams to run F1.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by F1Pete

Will F1 survive without Bernie?

I would have thought the teams and track owners would know how the F1 Circus works.

[MagnetON]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I would have thought the teams and track owners would know how the F1 Circus works.

However, even with the best will in the world teams will always want to seek an advantage. Getting all the teams to agree to anything proposed by another team is going to be like herding cats! The other teams will always think that the proposer is trying to gain an advantage.

Got a car design that runs better when the air is cooler? Let's have more "winter" GPs!
Car runs better in hot conditions? We need more desert GPs!

etc.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I would have thought the teams and track owners would know how the F1 Circus works.

If it means there'll be less favouritism shown towards Ferrari, I'm all for it.

The reality is that CVC will run the show in much the same way that BE currently does. He's only an employee of CVC and therefore there will be someone else waiting in the wings ready to take his place.

Some say that he'll be the Anti-Christ! *Cue Omen soundtrack*

[MagnetON]

Originally Posted by Marbot

Some say that he'll be the Anti-Christ!

and that his urine will smell of the ORIGINAL Castrol-R.

And on that TopGear bombshell, goodnight!

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Bononi

I guess he must be very worried

He's sh**ing $1,000 bills... allegedly

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by MagnetON

However, even with the best will in the world teams will always want to seek an advantage. Getting all the teams to agree to anything proposed by another team is going to be like herding cats! The other teams will always think that the proposer is trying to gain an advantage.

Got a car design that runs better when the air is cooler? Let's have more "winter" GPs!
Car runs better in hot conditions? We need more desert GPs!

etc.

Teams have always been seeking an advantage, ever since motorsport was invented.

[MagnetON]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Teams have always been seeking an advantage, ever since motorsport was invented.

Precisely my point.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by MagnetON

Precisely my point.

Hence the tyre debacle. Just a few teams holding everyone else to a very dangerous ransome. One team preventing the use of customer cars, etc.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by MagnetON

Precisely my point.

Then it makes no difference who runs F1, team and track owners or CVC or FOM.

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Then it makes no difference who runs F1, team and track owners or CVC or FOM.

Since they profiting from it...

[wolfhound]

Could Bernie's P45 be on the way?

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/108845

If and when Bernie goes I suspect there is likely to be chaos, as of this time there is no concorde agreement. Therefore nobody is in charge and without Bernie herding them in his direction it will take a tough operator to keep everybody on the straight and narrow.

[Chatters]

Rumour has it the charges will be dropped as soon as the Korean GP is dropped from the calendar.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Chatters

Rumour has it the charges will be dropped as soon as the Korean GP is dropped from the calendar.

How are the Korean GP and this indictment linked?

[Alan Cherry]

Question : If CVC won the contract to run Formula 1 through what may turn out to be Illegal shenanegans, are they still legally the owners of F1, or is it null and void and need to be put up for sale again with CVC having a chance to re-bid ?
Not suggesting anything here, just posing the question - any experts out there?

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by MagnetON

However, even with the best will in the world teams will always want to seek an advantage. Getting all the teams to agree to anything proposed by another team is going to be like herding cats! The other teams will always think that the proposer is trying to gain an advantage.

We've seen this happen back in the '70s and '80s The only way to solve it was to get one man to run the show for all the teams. Can't remember his name.