Oct.27 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has admitted that formula one destroyed his long marriage.

The F1 chief executive was married to Slavica, the mother of his two daughters, for almost 25 years until 2009.

"I have worked very, very hard for formula one and probably so intensively that it destroyed my marriage," Ecclestone, to turn 81 on Friday, told Germany's Die Welt newspaper.

"I'm too busy and I enjoy what I do," he explained. "Most of the time I work from nine to six, and even then in the evenings, seven days a week.

"She (Slavica) was not happy about it. I tortured her with my work for 25 years and now she travels around the world like there's no tomorrow. She's trying to catch up," said Ecclestone.

Asked if he ever goes on holiday, the diminutive Briton answered: "Very rarely, and not for long anyway. Ten days off was the most I've done in 50 years. I don't need to rest."

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