Skip to Content. Skip to Navigation.

News

 
 
Piquets in Briatore's sights

Piquets in Briatore's sights

01/06/2010 10:53:33 PM

Flavio Briatore is considering taking legal action against Nelson Piquet Snr and Jnr following his court triumph in Paris yesterday.

The Tribunal de Grande Instance (TGI) ordered the lifetime ban imposed by the FIA against Briatore to be overturned.

Motorsport's world governing body is currently looking into its options and considering whether to launch an appeal, a course of action Briatore has advised them against doing.

"I wouldn't do it after such a verdict," remarked the former Renault team principal in Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.

Briatore, however, may now go gunning for the Piquets as it was they who blew the whistle on the 'crashgate' scandal.

Piquet Jnr deliberately crashed his car at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix in order to help team-mate Fernando Alonso take the win.

Briatore, along with former Renault director of engineering Pat Symonds, were then implicated in the conspiracy by the Piquets.

The 59-year-old Italian did initially threaten legal action once the story emerged.

That was soon forgotten after he vacated his position at Renault, which had opted not to contest the allegation made against it by the FIA that it fixed the result of the aforementioned race.

Asked if he would now take action against the Piquets, Briatore replied: "That's very likely. The bad that has been done to me won't be forgotten in one day."

Briatore's problem, however, is the Tribunal merely stated the FIA sanction was 'irregular' as it did not comply with their statutes.

At no stage has the TGI reversed the FIA's finding that both Briatore and Symonds conspired to cause an intentional crash.

Clearly in a feisty mood, however, Briatore may also take action against those drivers who opted to break away from his management company, notably Heikki Kovalainen and Lucas di Grassi.

"Except for Kovalainen and di Grassi, my relationship with the other drivers has never changed," added Briatore, who also oversees the likes of Mark Webber.

"In fact, now we'll analyse the situation with the lawyers to see whether we should take legal action against anyone who has broken the contracts with us."

Briatore's main source of anger, though, remains directed at former FIA president Max Mosley who he once described as 'complainant, investigator, prosecutor and judge' in the case against him.

"It was a case of vengeance from Mosley, who has always managed the FIA and the World Council as if it was private property," remarked Briatore.

"He had reassured me, telling me they understood I didn't have anything to do with that story. Then came that verdict. It was an ignoble thing after 18 years of F1."

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, meanwhile, fears yesterday's verdict may just be the start of a lengthy battle that will again sully the name of the sport.

"It's not over by a long way," said Ecclestone in the British newspaper Daily Mail.

"Just because a judge has said what he's said doesn't make any difference. Nothing's happened."

"The court said it was wrong, so the FIA can start all over again with a new hearing, and it will go on and on and on."

"That's the worst thing. It would be better if they all get round a table and see what they can do."

 
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images


You Might Also Like

 
 
Alonso finishes on a high
Alonso finishes on a high
Motorsport
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was fastest on the final day of Formula One testing in Jerez, ...
 
 
Fresh start for Williams
Motorsport
 
Ricciardo revs up
Motorsport
 
Red Bull unveil 2012 car
Motorsport
 
Webber raring to go
Motorsport
 
Sutil fined for GBH
Motorsport
 
Petrov coy on F1 future
Motorsport
 
 
 
Federer denies spat
Federer denies spat
Tennis
Roger Federer has cleared the air over reports he blamed Swiss Davis Cup team-mate ...
 
 
 
 

Fantasy F1: Best Drivers

 
 

Galleries

 
 
F1 unvieling and testing in Spain
9/02/2012 2:34:49 PM
The F1 drivers were out in force on the track with their new toys for the upcoming season.
Photos of the Week
28/11/2011 3:33:38 PM
The golf season is getting into full swing; A League is continuing plus heaps more. So take a break from work and look thought the photo gallery of the week’s best sporting action.
 
The Weekend Sporting Action
18/10/2011 2:21:08 PM
The sport never slows down around the world. Check out the latest action from the weekend.