F1: Bernie Ecclestone denies being pushed out by CVC

By ,

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has played down the danger to his role in charge of formula one posed by Sir Martin Sorrell , an outspoken director of F1's commercial rights owner CVC.

Ecclestone is the chief executive of CVC's F1-related companies, and has twice this year been harshly criticised by Sorrell; first for the now-infamous Hitler remarks, and now for urging Flavio Briatore to fight his lifelong ban for cheating.

But even though Sorrell is an outspoken critic, Ecclestone denied that his views carry much weight with the real decision-makers at CVC.

"CVC are supportive of me," the Briton is quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph . "They always have been. Martin is a non-executive director. Nothing more than that.

"But if he does not like the way things work I've got an idea: why doesn't he come in to run it? How long would it last then?" the 78-year-old charged.

Ecclestone is also critical of Sorrell's musings about the CVC business from afar, arguing that he has no right to publicly debate the sport's affairs.

"I am on the World Motor Sport Council. I was in Paris while he was probably back in London. How can he know all the evidence? I don't want to say what Martin is. I'm sure I would get a writ," he added.