Ferrari’s new deal for the 2013 Concorde Agreement reportedly involves a $50 million annual fee.

It is believed the Italian team has now finalised its commercial agreement with Bernie Ecclestone.

The same is reportedly true for fellow top teams McLaren and Red Bull, whose annual additional fee is, according to German newsmagazine Der Spiegel, $35m apiece.

Ecclestone wanted to announce the conclusion of successful Concorde Agreement negotiations in Malaysia, but major teams including Mercedes and Williams were yet to sign up.

Instead, the F1 chief executive released a statement saying deals have been done with ‘the majority’ of the teams.

Mercedes, in particular, is more than unhappy.

“It can not be,” a Daimler insider is quoted as saying, “that transparency from our business partners is lacking regarding a contract through 2020.”

The Gerhard Gribkowsky saga has gone from bad to worse for F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.
Already under investigation by German prosecutors, the 80-year-old now faces a multi-million dollar lawsuit filed by the sport’s former 50 per cent shareholder Constantin Medien.

The German company, formerly known as EM.TV, has filed legal action in London’s High Court, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph.

Also being sued is Ecclestone’s holding company Bambino, business partner Stephen Mullens and the jailed Gribkowsky, who is accused of receiving millions from the F1 chief executive surrounding the sale of the rights to current owner CVC.

Constantin claims the manipulation of the sale to CVC cost it more than $100 million in missing profit proceeds.

Constantin, Ecclestone and CVC all declined to comment.

Banned former F1 chief Flavio Briatore has been named as being also involved in the Gerhard Gribkowsky bribery affair.
The Italian, a friend and business partner of Bernie Ecclestone, was reportedly involved in the F1 chief executive’s payment of millions to jailed German banker Gribkowsky.

The Seddeutsche Zeitung newspaper said Briatore, as well as a Swiss lawyer, helped Ecclestone get the money to Gribkowsky via a web of shell companies and fake consultancy contracts.

And the report said four of Ecclestone’s lawyers – three in Geneva and one in London – have been subject to searches by prosecutors.

The 80-year-old has said he was effectively blackmailed by Gribkowsky and argued that the amount paid to the former BayernLB risk manager was much less than $44m.

APA news agency said the prosecutors have declined to comment on the latest reports.

A Spanish arbitration court has ruled that HRT team owner Jose Ramon Carabante owes almost 50 million euros to a business partner.

Mid last year, the payment dispute with Trinitario Casanova, from whom Carabante bought the Grupo Hispania in 2008, emerged, with each claiming the other owes them multiple millions.

The Madrid commercial court La Corte y Mercantil de Arbitraje ruled a few days ago that Carabante pay EUR 47.5 million to Casanova within 20 days, according to the La Verdad newspaper.

But according to another report in the Spanish newspaper Expansion, “Trinitario and I came to an agreement before” the ruling, Carabante is quoted as saying.

In the same report, Carabante defended HRT’s lacklustre debut season in 2010.

“We finished more races than many other teams, and Virgin, for instance – with a much higher budget – fell behind us,” he insisted.

“At first it was said we would not be at the first race, then it was said we would last two races, then three, and finally we finished the season with dignity,” added Carabante.

He also said HRT is close to reaching an agreement with an investor.

“We are in advanced negotiations for the entry of an international investor,” he announced. “It would be for a minority of capital because I don’t want to sell completely.”

The Colin Kolles-led team said on Friday that it has “expanded (its) resources” for 2011 and is confident of “becoming more competitive”.

Rumours continue to mount about Flavio Briatore and a major future role for the Italian in formula one.

At Silverstone last weekend, the former Renault boss – banned for life by the FIA amid the crash-gate scandal last year – was once again spotted in the paddock.

It was his third appearance in five races and less than eight weeks, including his famous visit to Monaco and then his stroll on the Valencia grid.

Briatore was wearing a VIP paddock pass, which can only be issued by his friend, business partner and F1′s chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

British grand prix winner Mark Webber, still managed by Briatore, gave the flamboyant Italian a mention in the post-race press conference.

“I spoke to Flavio last night and he said ‘Mark, just make a good start’,” said the Australian.

A deal with the FIA means Briatore, 60, can resume a direct operational role in F1 in 2013, and speculation is hinting at a role alongside Ecclestone in the area of sponsorship.

Another bearer of a VIP paddock pass at Silverstone was McLaren chairman Ron Dennis, who is reportedly in trouble with the BBC for jokingly cutting the wire to Eddie Jordan’s earpiece live on television after the race.

Flavio Briatore’s visit to the Monaco paddock earlier this month was reportedly part of a plan for the Italian to return to formula one.

Due to the crashgate scandal, the ousted former Renault boss is currently banned from holding a direct operational role in F1 until 2013, and he has ruled out returning as a team boss.

But Finland’s Turun Sanomat reports that Briatore, 60, held “subtle negotiations” with F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone in Monaco.

The article said 79-year-old Ecclestone is not planning to retire, but does intend to delegate some of his responsibilities and “sees Briatore as a natural successor”.

Turun Sanomat cites British sources as saying Briatore will shortly be responsible for the acquisition of new sponsors with the Ecclestone-led Formula One Management.

The sources said Briton Ecclestone enjoys the negotiations with grand prix hosts, promoters and governments and does not intend to delegate those tasks.

Ecclestone said last month that his personal friend and business partner Briatore could soon “take up a role in the promotion of formula one”.

And at the height of the FOTA/FIA political war last year, when the teams were threatening to set up a rival series, departing president Max Mosley said Briatore “sees himself as the Bernie”.
(GMM)

In a sport and a paddock from which he is supposed to be banned, Flavio Briatore is making his presence solidly felt this weekend in Monaco.

With the crashgate scandal still fresh in the memories of F1 regulars, Briatore’s huge yacht Force Blue was spotted earlier this week in the Monte Carlo harbour.

The 60-year-old, implicated in the Singapore 2008 race-fixing scandal and banned for life by the FIA last year, then made his first personal appearance of the event by attending a party on Vijay Mallya’s nearby Indian Empress yacht on Thursday night.

With Jean Todt now in charge of the governing body in the wake of Max Mosley’s reign, a recent ban settlement means that Briatore and his crash conspirator Pat Symonds will be allowed to work in F1 again in 2013.

But the original World Motor Sport Council ban had ordered officials “not to permit Mr Briatore access to any areas” at FIA-sanctioned events.

On Friday in Monaco, Briatore lunched with Bernie Ecclestone, the Italian’s friend and business partner who has issued the ousted Renault boss a paddock pass as his personal guest.

Todt told the Associated Press that Briatore, wearing a blue t-shirt, is “free” to be inside the paddock because he does not have an “active role” with a team.

Meanwhile, spotted aboard his yacht ‘Iceman’ in the Monaco habour on Friday was the Citroen rally driver Kimi Raikkonen.

(GMM)

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