Flavio Briatore lifetime F1 ban overturned, may return to F1, eating more donuts
Grand Prix cheat Flavio Briatore saw his lifetime ban for race-fixing overturned by a French court yesterday.
The Tribunal de Grand Instance in Paris ruled the decision to slap an indefinite Grand Prix ban on the former Renault boss was "illegal".
But it awarded the Italian derisory compensation of just £14,000. He had demanded around £1million.
It cleared the way for the Italian multi-millionaire, who has always protested his innocence, to continue as chairman of QP, which was in jeopardy.
He said: "I would like to express my great joy. The decision restores to me the dignity and freedom that certain people had arbitrarily attempted to deprive me of."
He refused to discuss when - or if - he would return to Formula One.
Renault's head of engineering Pat Symonds, who had admitted his part in Crashgate, saw his five-year ban cancelled. He was awarded £3,500 compensation as the FIA was hit with court costs for both sides running to £200,000. The decision is one of the biggest reverses in the FIA's history.
Briatore and Symonds were kicked out of Formula 1 last September after the worst case of cheating in the sport's history unravelled over the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
Sacked racer Nelson Piquet claimed he had been ordered to crash by Briatore and Symonds to help team-mate Fernando Alonso win the sport's first night race.
Briatore was banned from the sport as well as driver and team management. He launched the legal action last October, claiming he was the victim of a vendetta by FIA chief Max Mosley. He retired after F1 teams, led by the Italian, threatened to quit the sport over the style of his stewardship.
In his action, Briatore claimed the FIA had breached his rights by failing to state the charges before last September's hearing and alleged lack of access to prosecution documents or key witnesses.
Renault shut the door on a Briatore return as they made Eric Boullier their new head.
Source: Flavio Briatore lifetime F1 ban overturned, may return to F1, eating more donuts
The Tribunal de Grand Instance in Paris ruled the decision to slap an indefinite Grand Prix ban on the former Renault boss was "illegal".
It cleared the way for the Italian multi-millionaire, who has always protested his innocence, to continue as chairman of QP, which was in jeopardy.
He said: "I would like to express my great joy. The decision restores to me the dignity and freedom that certain people had arbitrarily attempted to deprive me of."
He refused to discuss when - or if - he would return to Formula One.
Renault's head of engineering Pat Symonds, who had admitted his part in Crashgate, saw his five-year ban cancelled. He was awarded £3,500 compensation as the FIA was hit with court costs for both sides running to £200,000. The decision is one of the biggest reverses in the FIA's history.
Briatore and Symonds were kicked out of Formula 1 last September after the worst case of cheating in the sport's history unravelled over the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
Sacked racer Nelson Piquet claimed he had been ordered to crash by Briatore and Symonds to help team-mate Fernando Alonso win the sport's first night race.
Briatore was banned from the sport as well as driver and team management. He launched the legal action last October, claiming he was the victim of a vendetta by FIA chief Max Mosley. He retired after F1 teams, led by the Italian, threatened to quit the sport over the style of his stewardship.
In his action, Briatore claimed the FIA had breached his rights by failing to state the charges before last September's hearing and alleged lack of access to prosecution documents or key witnesses.
Renault shut the door on a Briatore return as they made Eric Boullier their new head.
Source: Flavio Briatore lifetime F1 ban overturned, may return to F1, eating more donuts
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