Bernie Ecclestone has named Red Bull team boss Christian Horner as his ideal successor.
Ecclestone, F1’s long-time ’supremo’, is currently locked in legal battles amid a corruption scandal, with F1 owner CVC this week admitting a conviction could result in him being ousted.
Fellow Briton Horner, Red Bull’s ultra-successful, newly 40-year-old boss and a former F3000 driver, has always played down speculation naming him as an obvious Ecclestone successor.
But he is famously close to 83-year-old Ecclestone, who on Thursday named Horner as the "ideal" man to reign in his stead.
"Christian would be ideal for my job," Ecclestone is quoted by the Daily Mail.
"I would be happy to hold his hand. We could have a transitional period.
"It needs someone who knows the sport," Ecclestone explained. "If someone comes in from outside, a corporate type, I don’t think I could work with them. It wouldn’t last five minutes."
Ecclestone added that he knows Horner well and trusts him: "I hope we can do it," he said.