APRIL 22, 2001

Top F1 team owners in wealthiest UK 1000 personalities

THE F1 fraternity needs to think very carefully before blundering into too intense a political battle on the subject of the sport's future beyond the expiry of the current Concorde agreement. The list of the top 1000 wealthiest UK personalities, eagerly anticipated and published in today's SUNDAY TIMES newspaper, may serve to reinforce the image of F1 team principals who've done very nicely, thank you, and don't really need any further boost to their personal war chests.

This is a simplistic and probably very unfair view, of course, bearing in mind that the sport's overlord Bernie Ecclestone - the man who controls the F1 money tap - has easily eclipsed their individual financial efforts. Ecclestone and his former Croatian model wife Slavica now occupy third place on the "Rich List" with a personal fortune of 3 billion pounds, deferring only to the Duke of Westminster (4.4 billion pounds) and food packaging tycoon Hans Rausig (4.2 billion pounds).

Further down the food chain we find Arrows boss Tom Walkinshaw placed 193rd on 170 million pounds, McLaren boss Ron Dennis (201st at 160 million pounds) of which only £100 million is attributed to his stake in the TAG McLaren group.

Placed at 308th is the Marques of Bute, formerly Lotus F1 driver Johnny Dumfries who partnered Ayrton Senna in 1986. His family wealth is estimated at £110 million(pounds). Placed 320th is Eddie Jordan on 105 million pounds, then Sir Frank Williams on 95 million pounds.

After that comes quite a drop to 497th where Lola boss Martin Birrane is judged worth 71 million pound. Jointly placed at 501st richest are Jackie Stewart and Minardi boss Paul Stoddart on 70 million pounds apiece, followed by Donington Park boss Tom Wheatcroft (526nd/65 million), Allsport chief Paddy McNally (562nd/60 million), Prodrive boss David Richards (634th/55 million), Williams technical director Patrick Head (735th/42 million) and former World Champion Nigel Mansell (747th/40 million).

Nice work if you can get it.