F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone says Valencia won't have to pay its sanctioning fee in the year the track doesn't host a Grand Prix. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Bernie Ecclestone is no longer travelling to Australia for this weekend's 2011 season opener.
The F1 chief executive's office had previously confirmed that the 80-year-old would be in Melbourne, but reports on Tuesday said Ecclestone has headed instead to New York.
Melbourne newspaper the Herald Sun said New York mayor Michael Bloomberg issued the invitation following speculation the Victorian government wanted to offload its race due to rising costs.
Bloomberg "invited Ecclestone to the US to hear his pitch for a race on Staten Island," said the report.
"As a result of what has happened in the last couple of weeks, mayor Bloomberg has been on to Mr. Ecclestone," confirmed Australian Grand Prix Corporation chairman Ron Walker.
"It's not just a fight against New York, it's a fight against everybody. Delhi is opening up, there will be one in Russia, Korea has come on stream ... the other Arab states want it, so there will always be a fight," he added.
In other Ecclestone news, the F1 chief executive is reportedly "happy" to make himself "available as a witness" as German prosecutors investigate a corruption scandal.
Banker Gerhard Gribkowsky is detained in Munich, accused of receiving $50 million that some German media suspect was paid by Ecclestone amid the sale of the sport five years ago.
Ecclestone has denied the accusations of bribery and, according to his German lawyer Sven Thomas, is willing to assist the investigation, a report in the Suddeutsche Zeitung claims.
The report also quoted Ecclestone's lawyer as saying he is willing to "testify as a witness."
At the same time, the Telegraph in London claims Ecclestone has been cleared of wrongdoing by a separate investigation instigated by F1's owner CVC.
The investigation was conducted by external auditors and Ecclestone commented: "That has all gone on and they haven't found anything (wrong)."
The Briton acknowledged, however, that CVC wishes "all this with Gerhard hadn't have happened" even though the private equity firm "isn't looking at selling" its majority stake of the sport.
