Bernie Ecclestone

Bernie Ecclestone attempted to qualify for a single World Championship event. He was in a Connaught-Alta, one of a fleet of three entered by himself. He finished qualifying 265.2 seconds off the pace, and his two team-mates failed to qualify as well.

He is, however, the most important single person in Grand Prix history. He took charge of Motor Racing Developments in 1972, from Ron Tauranac. He was the team principal for Nelson Piquet's two drivers' titles, but he'd lost interest by the time Brabham missed the deadline to enter the 1988 World Championship.

Into the governance of the sport he went, and he modernised it, and quickly controlled Formula One. He is now the leader of a billion-dollar industry. He is a divisive figure, but he's not done badly for someone who was four minutes off the pace on a Saturday in Monaco.

 

[teabagyokel]

Titch - It's got the noise, hence it is more exciting than F1.

 

[Titch]

I still think it's beyond him. Of course he could play it over a loud speaker system at all the races.

 

[Mephistopheles]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/113625

Bernie Ecclestone reiterated his innocence of bribery charges on Thursday as the Formula 1 supremo's high-profile court case in Germany got underway.

Yup no doubt about it, it wasn't a bribe.

Good luck with that one Bernster...

 

[teabagyokel]

His lawyer has described himself as confident since he's always defending innocent people.

This might allegedly be a challenge then. Ecclestone is guilty of poor quality cock jokes at any rate.

 

[Greenlantern101]

Basically he admits he made the payment, not as a bribe but because the German Banker was effectively blackmailing him, threatening to reveal 'false' tax information.

This can go two ways from what I can see:
1. If the tax information was false then what was he afraid of. Nobody would pay 27million to a blackmailer who's information was worthless, therefor it was a bribe. He gets found guilty and is fired.
2. The bankers tax information is correct and Bernie paid the 27 million in blackmail money. He is found innocent, keeps his job. But If this is the case then he would surely have to stand trial for not paying tax to who ever, just as the banker had threatened to reveal.

 

[Titch]

I think that a German Judge has already said in previous proceedings that the blackmail story is highly implausible.

Which it is.

 

[Mephistopheles]

So basically he is saying he can't be guilty of committing one crime because he was to busy trying cover up the fact that he had committed another crime at the time.

I like his thinking....

 

[RasputinLives]

"Call that a bribe?*

*walks up to judge and slaps big brown envelope on the desk*

"THIS is a bribe!"

(For legal purposes I must point out that I am not suggesting Bernie Ecclestone bribes people. I would never do that. Not me. No. This is merely a humours tittle not referring to anyone)

 

[Mephistopheles]

Allegedly.....

I watch "Have I got news for you"

 

[chreden]

1. If the tax information was false then what was he afraid of. Nobody would pay 27million to a blackmailer who's information was worthless, therefor it was a bribe. He gets found guilty and is fired.

Maybe he was afraid it would ruin his reputation.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I think I've found the proof of Bernie.

Some of you may recognize this as Gödel's ontological proof it is a formal argument for Bernie's existence.

 

[teabagyokel]

Well "he thinks therefore he is" isn't going to work...

 

[Mephistopheles]

Very good...

 

[Brogan]

Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has avoided a potential £1.2bn tax bill as a result of a secret deal with HMRC.

The deal involved a payment of just £10m, according to legal transcripts obtained by BBC Panorama.

Revenue & Customs spent nine years investigating the Ecclestone family's tax affairs before offering to settle in return for the payment from the family trusts in 2008.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27144637

 

[Road of Bones]

So - if he was already being investigated by HMRC, how could Gribkowsky possibly have been blackmailing him? Unless, of course, he knew about another of Bernie's shady dealings?

 

[Brogan]

Based on that article, the HMRC should be investigated.

Settling for £10m is criminal.

 

[FB]

The HMRC staff should be lined up and shot given the number of major companies and individuals who get away with tax avoidance and evasion on a mass scale. I really struggling with how Bernie's case stacks up as he's either guilty of bribery or tax evasion so either way he's going to come unstuck.

 

[Fenderman]

I'm surprised he doesn't just blame Russia. It seems to work for the White House.

 

[Mephistopheles]

If Bernie pays me one billion quid I'll do his jail time for him...

 

[teabagyokel]

http://www.newsbiscuit.com/2014/04/...ds-1-2bn-tax-bill-by-claiming-to-be-under-12/