London - The Croatian wife of Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone has filed for divorce, a statement issued by her lawyer in London said Thursday.

Slavica Ecclestone, a 50-year-old former model, was married to Ecclestone, now 78, for 24 years.

She was Thursday reported to have secured a deal which would give her a third of her former husband's future earnings for four years.

According to this year's Sunday Times Rich List, Ecclestone has a personal fortune to be in excess of 2 billion pounds (3.2 billion dollars). dpa