F1: The Sounds of Dinosaurs Slowly Dying
Posted: July 19, 2011 Filed under: Formula One | Tags: Bernie Ecclestone, F1, F1 bribery case, Gerhard Gribkowsky Leave a comment »
F1: Something oily here..... (photo: laist.com)
Tragedy must love company. On the same day that Rupert Murdoch was grilled in the Houses of Parliament over phone hacking, German prosecutors have alleged that Bernie Ecclestone paid bribes to a banker.
All around, the age of the dinosaur seems to be ending. A month ago, Murdoch was on the verge of bidding for ownership of F1 itself, along with the family that controls Fiat. Today, Murdoch fights for his life after watching top executives resign and face arrest. Murdoch will never own F1; his bid to acquire UK broadcaster BSkyB has been withdrawn.
And now prosecutors have charged Gerhard Gribkowsky with crimes. Gribkowsky was involved in the sale of F1 shares by a Bavarian bank to a group backed by CVC Capital Partners, the current owner of the sport’s commercial (i.e., broadcast) rights. Bernie continues to proclaim his innocence, but he admits a payment was made. Prosecutors allege that Gribkowsky accepted a bribe to approve the sale of shares to Bernie’s group.
At the La Brea Tar Pits in central Los Angeles, primordial ooze comes straight out of the ground. In prehistoric times, animals were drawn towards the tar pits, only to become stuck and unable to break free. Predators would approach, lured by the cries of wounded animals trapped in the tar. Soon, both predator and prey were ensnared and left to die. Slowly, these animals became extinct. Today we can view their fossilized remains.
