Auto123.com - Helping you drive happy

Rupert Murdoch has lost interest in F1 says Bernie Ecclestone

|
Get the best interest rate
Khatir Soltani
From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone thinks News Corp has lost interest in buying formula one.

Before the phone-hacking scandal stepped into a high gear earlier this year, the Rupert Murdoch-led media conglomerate and the Ferrari-linked Exor company announced they were looking at "formulating a long-term plan for the development of formula one".

But F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, who was never supportive of News/Exor's apparent interest in buying the commercial rights currently owned by CVC, has now revealed that the consortium "has not made a return visit" since then.

However, the 80-year-old Briton said CVC might be interested in selling to someone else.

"I have no doubt in my mind that if somebody came along with a respectable, sensible offer they would probably say let's have a chat. I think one or two people have come along with an offer they probably thought was sensible but CVC didn't," Ecclestone told LondonlovesBusiness.

It has even been rumoured that Bernie Ecclestone might be interested in buying back the sport.

"It isn't likely that I would buy F1 back and I can't imagine taking back majority control," he insisted. "CVC would want what it is worth and I wouldn't want to pay what it is worth. Not that it is not worth it but it would be a lot of money. It's a big thing to hang around your neck at my age," said Bernie Ecclestone.


Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
  • Over 6 years experience as a car reviewer
  • Over 50 test drives in the last year
  • Involved in discussions with virtually every auto manufacturer in Canada