It is claimed that Bernie Ecclestone is to marry his Brazilian girlfriend, lawyer Fabiana Flosi, despite an age difference of forty-six years.

The claim is made by the Daily Mail's Richard Kay, Ecclestone revealing the news whilst attending the launch of a controversial new biography of Simon Cowell by Tom Bower... yes that Tom Bower, the one that wrote the error ridden biography of the F1 supremo.

"We are officially engaged," Ecclestone told Kay, having introduced Flosi as his fiancee, "and it is not going to be a long engagement either.

"We are so happy, it's just a case of when we get married, not if, though we haven't fixed a time or place yet," he added, with Bahrain being the obvious suggestion if not for the wedding then the honeymoon.

"We have been together for two years and what makes it work is that Fabiana has a really good sense of humour... and when you live with me you need to have a sense of humour," Ecclestone continued. "Though I must say I am absolutely no trouble at home and I think she is lucky to have me."

Revealing her £100,000 engagement ring, the 5ft 3in billionaire added: "I didn't need to go down on one knee," his fiancee, at 5ft 10in, nowhere near as tall as his statuesque former wife Slavica.

While Ecclestone's two daughters Tamara and Petra were not initially happy with their father's relationship, it is claimed that they have now come around to the idea.

Petra's wedding hit the headlines last year when it was claimed it cost around £12m, though it is unlikely Bernie's nuptials are the reason for the proposed floatation of the sport on the Singapore Stock Market.

If true, we wish them well, even if we are minded of the question asked of Debbie McGee by (comedienne Caroline Aherne) on the Mrs Merton Show a few years back… "So Debbie, what first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?"