Scandalous F1 supremo in court for fraud pre-trial

Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone was present at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday (April 19), for a hearing concerning a £400-million fraud case. Ecclestone was pictured arriving at the court for a hearing before standing trial later this year.

The 92-year-old billionaire was charged with a single count of fraud for false representation between July 13, 2013, and October 5, 2016, following an investigation by His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Ecclestone has denied the accusations of failure to declare £400 million of overseas assets to the United Kingdom's tax authorities. The charges state that he has failed to declare a trust in Singapore that contained $650 million in its bank account.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorized the charges against the F1 supremo after an investigation by HMRC. He is currently on conditional bail and had previously stated that he would plead not guilty.

The trial date for the charges was set for October 9, 2023, and is expected to last for six weeks, potentially sitting half-days because of the "defendant's fitness." Ecclestone is not required to be present throughout the trial.

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Bernie Ecclestone's latest F1 controversy explored

Bernie Ecclestone has been involved in F1 for a long time, spending decades in the sport as a team owner and later overseeing the functioning of the series. Over the years, the 92-year-old has been involved in many controversies with his latest remarks being about Lewis Hamilton's 2008 title.

Ecclestone admitted that Felipe Massa was cheated out of the 2008 title and Lewis Hamilton was lucky to win the title that year. Hamilton emerged as the drivers' champion that year in a closely battled championship, winning over Massa by one point.

The result of the championship could have been different if not for Renault's infamous Crashgate scandal that year in Singapore. Ecclestone and Max Mosley, then FIA president, were made aware of the allegations that year but they were made public the following year.

He told F1 insider:

"According to the statutes, we should have cancelled the race in Singapore under these conditions. That means it would never have happened for the World Championship standings. Then Felipe Massa would have become World Champion and not Lewis Hamilton."

"I still feel sorry for Massa today. He won the final at his home race in Sao Paulo and did everything right."

"He was cheated out of the title he deserved while Hamilton had all the luck in the world and won his first championship. Today I would have arranged things differently."

The comments made by Eccelstone instigated Felipe Massa to consider a legal route to claim the 2008 world title.