FOM Chief Bernie Ecclestone has attempted to clarify the highly controversial comments he made to the Times over the weekend, comments that have now seen a German politician, Günther Oettinger, Prime minister of Hockenheim’s Baden-Württemberg, cancel a scheduled meeting with the 78 year old.

Speaking to German publication Bild, Ecclestone refused to actually apologize for his remarks about Hitler getting things done, instead he attempted to clear the situation up somewhat by saying that it was all a “big misunderstanding’

“We talked about structures and that it's sometimes good if something can be handled stringently and decided without limits," he said. "I did not mention Hitler as a positive example but I just pointed out that before his terrible crimes, he succeeded in fighting unemployment and the economic crisis. I would never dream of hurting the feelings of a community. A lot of people among my closest friends are Jews. Everyone that knows me, knows that I would never attack minorities."

Oettinger, who was set to hold talks with Ecclestone over the future of the Hockenheim circuit, has not reacted to the latest comments, nor interestingly enough, have any of the Formula One teams.....