Ecclestone defense, prosecutors discuss possible deal to end F1 boss' German bribery trial

A German court says prosecutors and lawyers for Bernie Ecclestone are in talks about a possible deal to end the Formula One boss' bribery trial.

The 83-year-old Ecclestone went on trial in Munich in April, charged with bribery and incitement to breach of trust. The charges involve a $44 million payment to banker Gerhard Gribkowsky, who is serving an 8 1/2-year sentence for taking the money.

Ecclestone says Gribkowsky blackmailed him.

His defense team called on Tuesday for proceedings to be closed, citing a lack of evidence that Ecclestone was criminally responsible. They said damage to BayernLB, on whose behalf Gribkowsky was selling a stake in F1, wasn't evident but offered to pay the bank 25 million euros ($33.6 million), news agency dpa reported.

The Munich state court says it's unclear how long talks between the two sides will take.