Bernie Ecclestone's controversial comments on Adolf Hitler have been criticised by CVC Capital Partners board member Sir Martin Sorrell.
Sorrell, a Jewish businessman who serves on the board that employs Ecclestone as chief executive of CVC, said he was disgusted by the comments. He added that Ecclestone was lucky to remain in his role.
"I am appalled by what he said about Hitler," Sorrell told today's
Daily Mail newspaper. "His comments were disgusting. He issued a full apology after taking advice. Any other CEO in any other business would be gone."
Sorrell's criticism comes after Ecclestone quashed rumors on Monday that he was being forced out, and claimed to be working to have a new Concorde Agreement in place today.
"Any story suggesting I'm going anywhere is completely untrue," Ecclestone said. "I don't know where they came from."
It is reported that Sorrell and other senior figures within CVC, including Peter Brabeck, discussed relieving Ecclestone of his position as CVC chief executive and moving him into an honorary role. But CVC managing partner Donald Mackenzie said two days ago that this was never a possibility.
"Bernie Ecclestone will remain in his post," he said. "There's no question of moving him into an honorary position or upstairs. There has never been any doubt about that."