MOTOR SPORT FORMULA ONE:FLAVIO BRIATORE last night opened the door to a sensational return to Formula One but said he would take his time to decide on his next move, after a French court overturned his lifetime ban from motor sport for his part in the Crashgate scandal.
The sport’s governing body, the FIA, was meanwhile considering an appeal against the judge’s ruling in favour of the former head of Renault’s F1 team. It suggested it would tighten its regulations to ensure future bans stick and noted that Briatore cannot return to the sport until its appeal options have been exhausted.
Briatore was excluded from participation in all forms of international motor sport for his part in fixing the outcome of the 2008 Singapore grand prix, during which Nelson Piquet Jnr was told to crash into a wall in order to improve the chances of his team-mate Fernando Alonso.
A French court yesterday found the FIA did not have the power to impose such a penalty and suggested there was a conflict of interest due to Max Mosley, the then president of the FIA, already being in dispute with Briatore.
“Let me take a little time to enjoy this moment of happiness after this difficult period,” Briatore said, refusing to be drawn on whether he might return to the sport where he won championships with Benetton and Renault in a career spanning more than two decades.
“As concerns my possible return to F1, there is plenty of time to talk about this.”
Briatore who owns a majority stake in Queens Park Rangers, expressed “great joy” at the verdict and said it had been a “difficult decision” to take the case to the French civil courts but he had no other choice. “The decision handed down today restores to me (my) dignity,” he said.
Briatore could not literally be banned as team principals do not hold licences but the FIA had forbidden all its licence holders from dealing with Briatore last September. Pat Symonds, Renault’s former technical chief, also had his five-year ban lifted.
Briatore had sought damages of €1 million but was awarded €15,000 in compensation. Symonds was awarded €5,000. Briatore’s lawyer Philippe Ouakrat said the judgment was “extraordinary” and could have serious implications for the FIA.
In its judgment, the court said: “The (FIA) World Council, by forbidding FIA members and licences to work with Messrs Briatore and Symonds, on the one hand added a negative condition – to not work with them – which is not provided for within the FIA statutes.”
The verdict will allow Briatore to continue managing the F1 drivers Mark Webber and Heikki Kovalainen and, in theory, could lead to his return to the F1 pit lane. - GuardianService
