Ex-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone to face £400m fraud charge next year

The 91-year-old is accused of failing to declare more than £400 million (roughly $650 million) in a Singapore trust account.

The charge was brought against Ecclestone in July after an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) into his finances between July 13, 2013 and October 5, 2016

Ecclestone denied the accusations in August when he appeared in Westminster Magistrates’ Court, entering a not guilty plea.

During the short hearing, he was granted unconditional bail ahead of his next appearance at Southwark Crown Court.

He appeared in Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday, with his wife, Fabiana, and was charged with a single count of fraud by false representation.

Judge Debroah Taylor has set a fixed trial date for October 9, 2023, and also confirmed that Ecclestone may not be required “to be present throughout”.

Prosecutor Alexander Langhorn expects the trial to last for up to six weekends, however, it could be completed over half days due to his age.

Ecclestone ran F1 for over 40 years from the late 1970s until his reign ended in 2017 following Liberty Media’s takeover of the sport. 

He made the media headlines earlier in the year after being arrested in Brazil for illegally carrying a gun, before being forced to apologise for defending Russian president Vladimir Putin.