Murdoch has lost interest in F1 - Ecclestone

Global Motorsport Media

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".

Bernie Ecclestone

Photo by: xpb.cc

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," Ecclestone told LondonlovesBusiness.

"I think one or two people have come along with an offer they probably thought was sensible but CVC didn't," he added.

It isn't likely that I would buy F1 back and I can't imagine taking back majority control

Bernie Ecclestone

It has even been rumoured that 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 Ecclestone.