A British judge has found that Formula One's boss Bernie Ecclestone did pay bribes to a German banker as part of a "corrupt agreement" linked to the 2005 sale of a stake in Formula One, an issue at the heart of Ecclestone's forthcoming bribery trial in Germany.
The British court ruling went in favour of the Formula One boss in that it dismissed a German firm's claim for damages from him, but it contained damning conclusions about the 83-year-old who has ruled the motor racing business for decades.
The judgment by the London High Court added to Ecclestone's legal woes ahead of his criminal trial, scheduled to start in Munich in April, over the same events dating back to 2005.
Judge Guy Newey said in his judgement he found it impossible to regard Ecclestone as a reliable or truthful witness.
