FORMER F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone has treated himself… to his old mate Flavio Briatore’s yacht.
The stunning 63 metre Force Blue recently became available for auction, after Briatore was convicted of not paying the VAT.
And Ecclestone, 90, couldn’t resist grabbing himself a bargain, picking up the yacht for a snip at £6.6m – despite his mate having originally paid £68.2m for it.
Briatore, 70, who previously owned QPR alongside Ecclestone – was found to have not paid around £3m in VAT on the boat between 2006 and 2010 – as well as around £700,000 in fuel duties.
The yacht, which happens to be the 78th biggest on the planet, initially then became available for charter in the Mediterranean, before the court decided to sell up at auction.
And according to Italian reports, Ecclestone snapped it up for just £6.6m – despite it being valued these days at around £17.5m.
Perhaps Bernie will be able to share the yacht with his kids, having last year become a father again at 89 with wife Fabiana, 44.
And if he has his way, there could be more offspring yet.
He told last year: “Fabiana said she wanted a family, and I told her, ‘That’s no problem for me. Half a dozen kids is great’.”
On being a father again, he added: “I am really happy. When I had the girls in the first place, obviously I was much younger.
“But also I was more worried about running a business than running around after them.
“Now I have more time on my hands and I hope I can spend it with my son as he grows up. I don’t know if we will stop here. Perhaps he should have a little brother or sister.
“Do I take anything? No! Fabiana gives me some tablets — vitamin D — but I don’t take anything else.”
