1 With his slicked-back hair and immaculate suits, the young Bernie Ecclestone (left) loved big American cars, although this Studebaker was owned by Fred Compton (right), his first business partner.

2 The partnership started with Ecclestone renting Compton’s forecourt to sell motorbikes. Eventually, Ecclestone’s success forced Compton to sell him the business.

3 Winning at any price – here at Crystal Palace in 1950 – was the principal source of Ecclestone’s happiness, not only in racing but in business.

4 As a Warren Street car dealer, Ecclestone haggled with spivs and criminals. Here, he adopted his lifetime’s credo, ‘No profit, no fun’.

5 High stakes gambling and formal dinners with his first wife, Ivy (left) were the focus of his social life during the 1950s. Occasionally he met Jack Brabham (centre) whose Formula One racing team Ecclestone bought in 1974.

6 & 7 Ecclestone’s parents: Bertha Ecclestone, holding her grand-daughter Debbie, and Sidney Ecclestone – a reserved man, he inspired his son’s interest in motors and racing but they appeared to have little else in common.

8 & 9 Ecclestone met Tuana Tan (above, right and below, with friends) gambling at Crockfords in 1967 and left Ivy for the Singaporean carrying just a suitcase. Their seventeen-year relationship ended abruptly: ‘I didn’t know you wanted children,’ she said tearfully as Ecclestone departed carrying just a suitcase. 

10 Gordon Murray, the car designer and owner of Brabham cars, was critical to Ecclestone’s victorious Formula One career but as with most of Ecclestone’s relationships, Murray departed angry about money.

11 Patrick Duffeler, with Ecclestone and a ‘pit popsie’, failed to prevent Ecclestone taking over Formula One after a bitter struggle. ‘I don’t approve of Bernie’s approach to business,’ said Duffeler. ‘Bernie’s God is money.’

12 Niki Lauda and Ecclestone at the Austrian Grand Prix in 1978. Lauda, an exceptionally courageous and intelligent Formula One driver, was one of the few to outsmart Ecclestone in negotiations.

13 Nelson Piquet won the World Championship driving for Ecclestone but was not surprised when his employer refused to celebrate. ‘All he did was do the job he was paid for,’ said Ecclestone. ‘Bernie can lick my arse,’ Piquet shouted during a drivers’ strike shortly after.

14 The conspiracy between Ecclestone and Max Mosley (left) to outwit Jean-Marie Balestre (right), the pompous and greedy French president of FIA, ended in Ecclestone’s profitable ownership of Formula One.

15 Enzo Ferrari – the man Ecclestone called his mentor.

16 Michael Schumacher kisses Ecclestone while Damon Hill looks on. ‘Schumacher is a ruthless, brutal driver,’ said Ecclestone admiringly.

17 Few Formula One principals are more critical of Ecclestone than Ron Dennis. ‘Bernie doesn’t give things,’ he said. ‘You have to fight for them.’

18 The crash between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in 1990 was a familiar ‘shunt’ to decide the fate of the race. Ecclestone described the frequent Formula One tragedies as ‘a form of natural culling’.

19 In 1997, Ecclestone’s Christmas card celebrated his notoriety following the exposure of his £1 million donation to the Labour party.

20 Luca Montezemolo, the head of Ferrari, constantly challenged Ecclestone’s control. ‘You’ve earned too much,’ Montezemolo said. ‘You’re eating too much cake. You’ve got indigestion.’

21 Few of Ecclestone’s relationships arouse more bewilderment than his friendship with Flavio Briatore. ‘People say I shouldn’t be associated with Flavio and people who cheat,’ Ecclestone said. ‘I couldn’t care.’

22 Ecclestone’s tumultuous marriage with Slavica puzzled his friends although he loyally said, ‘She’s a super mum.’ Shocked when she divorced him, he said, ‘I would never have left her … I’ve never walked out on anything.’

23 Vladmir Putin’s agreement to pay $40 million a year for a Formula One race did not surprise Ecclestone. After a fifteen-minute private conversation in Sochi in October 2010, Ecclestone commented ‘He’s learning to speak good English.’

24 Hollywood stars and businessmen want to be associated with Formula One. Sir Philip Green escorts Jennifer Lopez and her husband Marc Anthony around the track in Monaco, while Ecclestone looks on.