The fraud process against former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is not scheduled to begin until autumn 2023. The judge responsible set the date for the start of the trial for October 9 next year, as she announced on Tuesday before London's Southwark Crown Court in the presence of the accused.

The indictment accuses the 91-year-old of having misrepresented foreign assets of more than 400 million pounds (around 458 million euros) in the tax. Ecclestone himself rejects the allegations.

According to the indictment, Ecclestone is said to have set up only one trust abroad, the beneficiaries of which are his three daughters, Deborah, Tamara and Petra. However, the British finance and tax authority is of the opinion that Ecclestone itself wanted to benefit from the undeclared assets abroad. Theoretically, a sentence of up to ten years imprisonment is possible.

According to the court, about six weeks are scheduled for next year's trial. The trial will probably only take place half a day in order to take into account the old age of the accused. This will probably not have to be present all the time, said the judge on Tuesday.