Formula 1 News

Flavio Briatore wins appeal against lifetime ban 

Former Renault F1 team principal Flavio Briatore has won his court case against Formula One’s governing body, the FIA.

The Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris has lifted Briatore’s lifetime ban handed by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council after being found guilty of race fixing the 2008 edition of the Singapore Grand Prix.

“Today is a happy day for me, I feel free because I was given back my dignity,” were Briatore’s first words after the announcement.

The French court has also ordered the FIA to to tell the public and the F1 teams that Briatore’s (and Symond’s) lifetime bans have been lifted.

“The FIA is obliged to notify within two weeks it is lifting the provisions to its members and licence holders, particularly the 13 teams entered into the FIA Formula 1 world championship 2010,” said the French court.

The court ruled that the decision to ban the two men had been “irregular” and the Italian was awarded 15,000 euros in compensation.

“The FIA can sanction licence holders, leaders, members of the ASNs, but it cannot with respect to third parties, take measures equivalent to a sanction – in contravention of article 28 of its statutes. The World Council, by forbidding FIA members and licences to work with Messrs Briatore and Symonds, on the one hand added a negative condition – to not work with them – which is not provided for within the FIA statutes,” said the verdict.