ISTANBUL (AP) — Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone says he is “100 percent” certain the sport’s major shareholder does not want to sell the rights to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.
CVC Capital Partners has owned the rights to F1 since 2006. This week CVC said it had received a friendly approach from News Corp. about a potential joint takeover bid with the investors behind Ferrari, the sport’s oldest team.
The media giant and Italian investment firm Exor said they were searching for backers to fund a possible bid.
Ecclestone remains adamant the rights will not be sold, saying Sunday at the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul that CVC is “the major shareholders and they do not want to sell.”
