Bernie Ecclestone 'could pay to settle bribery case'

Formula 1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone may pay to settle bribery charges against him in a German court and avoid the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence, according to a report.

The Mail on Sunday quotes Ecclestone's lawyer Sven Thomas as saying that once the trial is underway, a deal might be done, but that a settlement is unlikely before proceedings begin.

It is thought that a deal may cost the entrepreneur up to £240m, roughly the sum of money claimed to be lost by the BayernLB bank in business dealings with the F1 supremo, and needs the agreement of both the public prosecutors and the court to be ratified.

Last week, Ecclestone announced he would be stepping down as director of Formula 1's holding company.