Bernie Ecclestone is free to concentrate on running Formula One after a German court dropped a bribery case against him on Tuesday in exchange for a $100 million payment.

After hearing more than three months of evidence, the Munich state court cited significant doubts that Ecclestone could be convicted on charges of bribery and incitement to breach of trust as it approved an agreement between his lawyers and prosecutors and closed the trial.

The charges can carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a conviction would have threatened Ecclestone's grip on the global racing series.