Lifetime suspension still applies, FIA insists
Briatore ponders legal action against Piquet
Formula One's governing body, the FIA, insisted yesterday that the lifetime suspension from motor sport imposed on former Renault boss Flavio Briatore still applies despite it being overturned by a Paris court.
The high court in Paris on Tuesday "ruled the sanction illegal," citing "irregularities" in the FIA's decision in September to ban Briatore for allegedly ordering Nelson Piquet junior to crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
Former Renault technical director Pat Symonds, who had been handed a five-year ban, also had his suspension overturned.
But the FIA said in a statement the court's decision was "not enforceable until the FIA's appeal options have been exhausted."
"Until then, the World Motor Sport Council's decision continues to apply," the FIA said.
"In addition, the FIA intends to consider appropriate actions to ensure that no persons who would engage, or who have engaged, in such dangerous activities or acts of intentional cheating will be allowed to participate in Formula One in the future."
The scandal centred on driver Piquet junior's claims that the team had ordered him to crash deliberately at Singapore to enable teammate Fernando Alonso to go on and win.
Meanwhile, Briatore said yesterday that he was considering legal action against Nelson Piquet Jr. and the driver's father over claims they made about his involvement in the "crashgate" scandal.
Asked whether he intended to take legal action, Briatore said: "Very probably. The damage that was done to me isn't forgotten in a day."
Briatore added he would continue to manage F1 drivers "like always" and threatened to go to court against those who had left him.
"Apart from Heikki Kovalainen and Lucas Di Grassi, my relationship with the other drivers has never changed," he said.
The flamboyant multi-millionaire, who has said he will take his time deciding on his general future in Formula One, heavily criticised former FIA president Max Mosley across Italian media and said his health had suffered.
"Champagne? No, I opened a Coca Cola because I'm on a diet. I've been eating rubbish for three months," said the 59-year-old, who will become a father again soon.
"We still haven't agreed a name. It certainly won't be called Max!"