Mar.27 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has played down speculation that he has lined up Flavio Briatore as his preferred successor as F1 chief executive.

The 77-year-old is close friends with Italian Briatore, who entered formula one team management in the late 80s and is still boss of the Renault outfit.

Ecclestone and Briatore, 57, also recently went into business, with ownership of the London football club Queens Park Rangers.

But Briton Ecclestone, albeit with no intention of retiring, doubts that one man will be able to replace him.

"And I don't think he is even interested in this job; he has different priorities than me," Bernie, referring to Briatore, told FHM magazine in Spain.

Also in the interview, Ecclestone branded F1's current world champion Kimi Raikkonen as "completely the opposite" of 2008 challenger Lewis Hamilton.

"Hamilton attracts all the attention, because he likes to talk," he said.

"With Kimi it is so different.

"Nobody even knows what he is going to do from one year to the next, so it is difficult to predict how the rest of his career will be," Ecclestone added.