F1 fans could not believe it when they saw Bernie Ecclestone standing on the grid at Indianapolis clearly having lost control of the situation, and in many ways his sport.

In days gone by, the F1 supremo would have simply told the Michelin-shod rebels to 'stop the nonsense' and get on with the race.

But as we watched the 74-year-old, who for once seemed lost for words, it was clear that the Englishman no longer rules the pitlane with an iron fist.

Now, it would appear that Ecclestone has even lost control in his own home, at least that's what daughters Petra and Tamara, beneficiaries of Bambino Holdings, which owns 25% of the sport, would have us believe.

Despite having owned some of the most expensive residences in London, it's understood that Chez Ecclestone is kept simple, with few mod-cons.

"Dad may be the boss at work, but Mum (Slavica) rules the roost at home," Tamara reveals to The Daily Mail's Weekend Magazine. "Every night after dinner, Dad washes the pots and dries the dishes.

"He's only just persuaded Mum to get a dishwasher," she continues, "but she regards it with suspicion, believing that no machine can do the washing-up properly.

"She calls the shots where he and the rest of us are concerned. We have a cleaner, but no housekeeper or cook, and Mum does all the cooking."

Being the boss of Formula One, the pinnacle of sporting technology, one might believe the Ecclestone home to be filled with technical gadgetry, not so according to the interview. Apparently 'an enormous television' is the only mod con, while the main piece of furniture is a 'squashy, well-worn beige sofa'. The family 'sits down to eat in the kitchen, for there is no dining room, no staff and no obvious trappings of wealth'.

"You don't find happiness by being able to buy everything you want whenever you want it," adds Tamara. "We like to live ordinary lives and you don't need money for that."

And when one says 'ordinary'...

"Mum does all the shopping herself," reveals Petra, "and often looks for two-for-the-price-of-one deals. People are often shocked when we say that Mum does all the housework and Dad drives us to school."

Ecclestone is well known for his obsession with order and tidiness in the F1 paddock, apparently, it's the same at home: "He is obsessed by tidying," admits Tamara. "You can be sitting there and he'll be moving things and saying, 'No, it should go like this'."

Although Chez Ecclestone might be devoid of mod cons, all that money means that there are a few luxuries, such as two private aircraft and a yacht: "Going on our own jets is a fun way of travelling with Dad to the Grand Prix," says Tamara. "He wouldn't see a reason to have them if he didn't travel for work.

"The yacht is a luxury," she admits, "but we never take it for granted, we're aware of how lucky we are."

Finally, it's good to see that the girls have inherited their father's sense of humour. When talking about her father's two private jets, she says: "On regular airlines he often travels economy - stuff like that doesn't bother us or him - and it's not like he needs the leg room!"