£2.4bn Divorce Threatens Ecclestone’s Hold On F1

Bernie Ecclestone’s control over Formula One could be under threat after it emerged that his wife Slavica – who is believed to be the dominant partner in a trust which holds the bulk of the family’s £2.4bn wealth including her husband’s stake in governing body Formula One Management – has filed for divorce.

The 50-year old Slavica Ecclestone released a statement via PR agency Borkowski which said: ‘It is formally announced that Mrs Slavica Ecclestone has filed for divorce.

‘Her legal representative is Liz Vernon at Clintons. Mrs Ecclestone has asked that her privacy and that of her children should be respected.’

Divorce lawyer Vernon has a substantial history in such proceedings having successfully represented the wife of Arsenal footballer Ray Parlour in a landmark case in 2004, securing a deal which gave her client a third of her ex-husband’s future earnings for four years.

Mrs Ecclestone could be awarded as much as half of her husband’s fortune in a settlement agreement while the proceedings could also substantially affect Bernie Ecclestone’s hold over F1 through his stake in FOM’s holding company Alpha Prema.

Ecclestone, who has run F1 since the early 1980s, has managed repeatedly to sell off parts of his stake without ceding operational control, but could now find himself fighting his wife for his share of his own money.

The 78-year old Ecclestone also recently took over Coca-Cola Championship football club Queens Park Rangers with Renault team boss Flavio Briatore.

The couple, who married in 1985, have two daughters, Petra, 19, and Tamara, 24.