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Briatore ban overturned
French court rules in favour of former Renault boss
Last updated: 6th January 2010 
Briatore: challenged FIA ban in court
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Former Renault boss Flavio Briatore has had his life ban from motorsport overturned by a French court.
Briatore, 59, was banned by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) in September for his role in a plot to rig the outcome of the 2008 Formula One Singapore Grand Prix.
"The court ruled the sanction was illegal," the judge told the Tribunal de Grande Instance (TGI) in Paris.
Briatore was awarded 15,000 euros (£13,500) in compensation.
The TGI also overturned the five-year ban imposed by the FIA on Renault's former engineering head Pat Symonds and awarded him compensation of 5,000 euros (£4,500).
The FIA have 15 days to pay the duo otherwise they will be liable to a penalty of 10,000 euros (£9,000) per day, although their legal team are considering launching an appeal.
Crash
Briatore was involved in a conspiracy which saw Nelson Piquet Jnr deliberately crash his car at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix in order to help team-mate Fernando Alonso take the win.
Although Briatore threatened legal action against Piquet Jnr and father, Nelson Piquet Snr, that was soon dropped.
Then just five days before the World Motor Sport Council sat in judgment on Renault on September 21, Briatore and Symonds vacated their positions at the team.
After the FIA handed out the sentences, Briatore later claimed former FIA president Max Mosley was "blinded by an excessive desire for personal revenge" in pursuing the case.
In a statement in November, Briatore added: "The decisions to carry out an investigation and to submit it to the World Council were taken by the same person, Max Mosley, the FIA president."
Briatore further asserted Mosley "assumed the roles of complainant, investigator, prosecutor and judge," claiming the case against him was a breach of the "most basic rules of procedure and the rights to a fair trial."
Briatore's claim the FIA World Council, chaired by Mosley, was out for "personal revenge" stemmed from his involvement in plans for a breakaway series.
Issue
It was an issue which rumbled on through much of last season before an agreement was reached for manufacturers to stay in Formula One.
A further knock-on effect for Briatore is that he is also clear to continuing his ownership of Coca-Cola Championship club QPR.
If the TGI had upheld the ban, the Football League would have had a case against Briatore, potentially citing him as not fit and proper to run one of their clubs.
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Comments (13)
Jason Irwin says...
F1 has now become a joke. That being said it shouldn't be a surprise a French court would overturn his ban.
Posted 21:09 6th January 2010
Kate Duncan says...
its amazing how some people in formula one get away with things, he should be banned he put lives at risk
Posted 12:48 6th January 2010
Nick Cochran says...
If one person can get away with it, then others will try..... Bad day for F1........
Posted 10:32 6th January 2010
Matt Evans (Queens Park Rangers fan) says...
Forget F1 this is an even worse scenario for QPR as he has promised but not delivered time and time again! Funny he has been awarded money, wonder if Paul Hart will be able to spend any of it: that is if he is still there next week...
Posted 09:54 6th January 2010
Andy Jackson says...
Disgusting. Like so many things in this world it seems - those who do wrong are ultimately rewarded.
Posted 09:43 6th January 2010
B Patel says...
This is a very bad decision...it is going to cost F1 in the future...if this happens again they can use the same excuse..."The court ruled the sanction was illegal" ..how is it possible when it was proved that he had a hand in the crash?
Posted 05:49 6th January 2010
John Breakell says...
A French court overturns a punitive decision concerning Renault -quelle suprise- however Gareth and Mark, this is not the doing of F1. I hope the FIA appeal, court action should keep this dangerous man out of F1 for at least this coming season.
Posted 22:34 5th January 2010
Andy Dunlop says...
Who ever thought that the FIA ban would stand up to scrutiny ? Well done Briatore for slapping the FIA round the face with their own rule book ! The sad thing is that the genuine motor sport fan & the Court of Public Opinion knows who the real 'guilty' party is & although 'cleared' Briatore's halo may yet slip & seal his demise as leopards rarely change their spots !
Posted 18:15 5th January 2010
Mike Peers says...
i don't know what the heck the ban has to do with a French court at all as it was imposed by the FIA who if i am not mistaken are the ones who are to state and impose bans on anyone connected to motor sport. it is wrong for the FIA to even consider paying the money to symonds and briatore let alone allow them to participate in the sport again!!!
Posted 17:41 5th January 2010
Brian Sidney says...
so is there any point in having rules in sport anymore.First Chelsea break the transfer rules dont like their punishment go to court and get it overturned now Briatore breaks the rules endangers his driver and the stewards and spectators ,again he dosn't like his punishment goes to court and gets it overturned.What is the piont of having coverning bodies when they cant even make their own laws stick?
Posted 17:21 5th January 2010
Jon May says...
Sad day for Formula 1.
Posted 16:16 5th January 2010
Gareth Bolding says...
I cant belive that a guy who has fixed a race & put his own driver in danger has been given compensation. What an absolute joke F1 really is at the moment and the court that granted him it. Joke.....
Posted 15:58 5th January 2010
Mark Jax says...
what a surprise! - it was an over the top ban in the first place, but I don't think anybody thought it would last for a 'lifetime'. Formula 1 has become a bit of a joke over the last couple of years and i really hope Schumaker knows what he is getting into.
Posted 15:09 5th January 2010