Ecclestone issues quit threat amid F1 takeover reports

Bernie Ecclestone’s latest comments have been interpreted as a threat to quit in the event Rupert Murdoch takes over formula one.

The F1 chief executive initially dismissed the rumours of a takeover by Murdoch’s News Corporation and Carlos Slim as "rubbish", but he has now told the Sunday Times that he fears not being able to work alongside the moguls.

"I’m old enough to get a pension, so I don’t have to get a job," said Ecclestone, who is also embroiled in an extortion scandal surrounding the sale of the commercial rights to F1’s current owner CVC some years ago.

"I’d have to be sure the people (who own F1) are people I would like to work with and whether they would want to work with me," he added.