- News
Ecclestone plays down Murdoch F1 bid
- Drivers:
- Bernie Ecclestone
Bernie Ecclestone fears that the News Corporation phone-tapping scandal may have seriously damaged the Murdochs' plans to take over Formula One.
F1 chief executive Ecclestone is good friends with both Rupert and James Murdoch and said he feels sorry about what has happened in the wake of the News of the World closure.
"I'm terribly sorry for Rupert, who I know quite well, and James because they are running their businesses very well," Ecclestone told the Telegraph.
"If they were to bid for F1 they might find that people would object to it. We have still had no contact from News Corp about a takeover of F1."
Ecclestone added that a mooted move for Murdoch's pay-TV networks to take over the broadcasting of F1 was unlikely due to the BBC's existing contract.
"Let's wait and see about the BBC because at the moment they want to make a noise. I can't see how the BBC could cancel. We could probably sue them. It isn't possible that F1 could go on to pay TV, we wouldn't want to do that."