Formula 1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has said that he will prove his innocence when he goes on trial accused of bribery next week.
The 83-year-old is not attending this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix in order to prepare for the trial, which gets underway in Munich on Thursday.
"I'm going into this trial to prove my innocence of what I've been charged with," The Guardian quotes Ecclestone as saying.
The charges relate to a payment that was made to former banker Gerhard Gribkowsky over the sale of the sport in 2006.
Ecclestone has denied any wrongdoing.
