F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone "hopes to walk from court a free man" on Tuesday after negotiating a $100M payment "to settle the criminal bribery case against him," according to David Charter of the LONDON TIMES. Ecclestone will hear if Bavarian judges will accept "the deal he negotiated with prosecutors for the biggest personal financial settlement in German legal history." It could be "one of the greatest deals" of Ecclestone’s career since it would result in "the dropping of all criminal charges against him." German law allows the settlement for economic crimes. The deal could also satisfy F1 majority owners CVC Capital, which has said that if Ecclestone were convicted "he would be removed from his position as president and chief executive of Formula One Management" (LONDON TIMES, 8/5). In London, Christian Sylt wrote Ecclestone's lawyer Sven Thomas said the F1 boss will asked the court "to use the money to build a new Formula One track in the region." Thomas said, "the $100 million is for the state of Bavaria. Maybe they will try and build a circuit. I will propose this – that they should build a nice circuit" (London INDEPENDENT, 8/4).
