VAIROUS FILE: MOTOR RACING - Flavio Briatore's life ban from Formula One overturned by French courts

Record ID: 723362

  • Title: VAIROUS FILE: MOTOR RACING - Flavio Briatore's life ban from Formula One overturned by French courts
  • Date: 6th January 2010
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 21, 2009) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF FIA OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) PRESIDENT OF FIA MAX MOSLEY TALKING ABOUT BRIATORE BAN "Well it's sad. Because he's been in motorsports for 20 years. More actually at the top level and it's sad to see a career end like that but what could we do? QUESTION: And no fine for Renault? MAX MOSLEY SAYS: No fine for Renault. WIDE EXTERIOR OF FIA HEADQUARTERS
  • Embargoed: 21st January 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA8A1C1XP8ENXOQ2AUNR9WHB692
  • Story Text: Flavio Briatore, former boss of the Renault Formula One team, had a life ban imposed by the sport's governing body overturned by a French court on Tuesday (January 5).
    The Italian was banned by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) in September for his role in a plot to rig the outcome of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. Briatore was banned from the Formula One paddock and from being involved with teams. Drivers in the championship were also banned from being managed by Briatore.
    "The court ruled the sanction was illegal," the judge told the Paris court. Briatore was awarded 15,000 euros ($21,680) in compensation.
    The FIA's legal team said it would probably be launching an appeal.
    Briatore was in charge of the Benetton Formula One team that took Michael Schumacher to his first world championship. Later Briatore was in charge of Renault when the team took two world championships with Fernando Alonso.
    Last year Brazilian Nelson Piquet blew the lid off one of Formula One's biggest scandals after being dropped by Renault in July when he told the FIA that he had been ordered to crash deliberately at the 2008 race in Singapore.
    He said he had done so to bring out the safety car and help his Spanish team mate Fernando Alonso win the race.
    Former champions Renault were handed a suspended permanent ban while engineering head Pat Symonds was banned for five years.
    Briatore launched his legal case in October, claiming his right to a free and fair defence to the charges was flouted.
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