Briatore 'distraught' by life ban

Flavio Briatore is devastated by his life ban from F1 for his role in a race-fixing scandal and may take legal action against motor sport's governing body, Italian media reported yesterday.

The former Renault team boss was handed the sentence by the FIA on Monday for fixing last year's Singapore Grand Prix by ordering Nelson Piquet to crash.

"I am distraught," the 59-year-old Italian was quoted as saying.

Reports said he was planning to bring legal action against the FIA in the Paris courts to try to prove his innocence and win compensation for the damage to his image.

Briatore left Renault last week along with engineering head Pat Symonds, who was banned for five years on Monday.

Renault did not contest the accusations and were handed a suspended permanent ban that will last until the end of the 2011 season.

Renault's Fernando Alonso, who won the Singapore race after Piquet's crash forced the deployment of the safety car, was cleared of any involvement. Brazil's Piquet was given immunity from prosecution in return for testifying.

Carlos Gracia, head of the Spanish motor sport federation, was shocked by the life ban.

"Briatore's (penalty) seems to me excessive, there was no clear proof against him and he was not able to defend himself either," he said.

"Morever, I wouldn't rule out him going to ordinary justice because he has been left without his means of earning a living."