Bernie Ecclestone back in F1 paddock thanks to his wife despite not being on best terms with sport’s owners

BERNIE ECCLESTONE was back in the F1 paddock he had controlled for 40 years — but only thanks to his missus.

He might have run F1 but the 92-year-old is not on the best terms with owners Liberty Media.

Bernie Ecclestone was back in the paddock thanks to his wife FabianaRex

PAThe couple have been married since 2012[/caption]

Instead, he was given his Bahrain pass by wife Fabiana — an FIA vice-president and World Motor Sport Council member — who invited him as her guest.

Brazilian Fabiana is 46 years younger than her husband.

They met in 2009 at the World Motor Sport Council, when she was working in marketing for the Brazilian Grand Prix held in Interlagos.

In July 2016, Fabiana’s mother, Aparecida Schunk was kidnapped for a ransom of £28m – luckily she was found nine days later.

The couple tied the knot in 2012, three years after he had divorced his second wife Slavica, to whom he was married to for 24 years.

Slavic Radic was a model and before her, Bernie was married to Ivy who he also divorced.

On April 3, 2020, it was revealed that Bernie was set to become a dad for the fourth time at the grand old age of 89.

Then in July 2020, it was announced that the couple had welcomed a baby boy into the world, who they aptly named Ace.

Bernie has three daughters from his other marriages.

His first daughter was Deborah, from his first marriage to Ivy.

Then there are Tamara and Petra, both from his second marriage to Croatian model Slavica.