FIA condemn leaks, reject Briatore's allegations

Friday 13th November 2009

The FIA have hit back at "the selective leaking of extracts" from Flavio Briatore's statements to the Parisian courts in his case against the FIA.

The disgraced former Renault team boss has turned to the courts, seeking to have his lifelong ban from Formula One as well as all FIA-endorsed motor racing activities lifted.

Added to that, the Italian, who was banned for his part in Renault's race-fixing scandal, also wanted a minimum of €1m in compensation for damage to his reputation.

On Thursday, the Guardian newspaper published extracts of Briatore's statements to the courts, in which he accuses former FIA President Max Mosley of being "clearly blinded by an excessive desire for personal revenge."

He added that "the decisions to carry out an investigation and to submit it to the World Council were taken by the same person, Max Mosley" who "assumed the roles of complainant, investigator, prosecutor and judge."

His complaints, though, weren't limited to Mosley as Briatore also hit out at Bernie Ecclestone, saying that the F1 supremo "could, moreover, be hostile to Mr Briatore as a result of stances taken by him during the previous year on behalf of the constructors involved in Formula One."

The FIA have responded to the leaks, saying the allegations made by Briatore are not true.

"The FIA condemns the selective leaking of extracts from Mr Briatore's pleadings to the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris," motorsport's governing body said in a statement.

"The FIA rejects the allegations made in these leaks and confirms that the decision to impose a sanction against Mr Briatore was made by an overwhelming majority of the attending World Motor Sport Council members.

"In respect for the authority of the French Court, it would be entirely inappropriate for the FIA to comment further on this matter in advance of the hearing."

Briatore's hearing against the FIA is scheduled for 24 November and will be heard by France's high court, the Tribunal de Grande Instance.

Your Comments

Brent

" The FIA are within their rights to ban for life a participant who has cheated. I agree with Biso that Briatore can "ply his trade" at racing events sanctioned by other organisations. I think it could be argued that his "trade" isn't racing at all, it's marketing, in which case the FIA sanction has no effect."

Bannor

"It's strange how secret documents are continuously leaked after being given to the FIA......"

biso9700

"gilgen, is that not what you have just did?, Mark Twain had a point!"

biso9700

"You are still missing the point i am trying to make, when someone works under any body(in this case the FIA), they agree to abide by the rules set out by that body!, and accept the punishments for breeching their rules, unless that punishment is illegal under the laws which govern the country they are based in(in this case France), and it could well be argued that he did indeed endanger public safety(and the safety of his employee) by getting that employee to crash his car!, although it is a good possibilty that by giving an open-ended sentence that the FIA have shot themselves in the foot in that by not having a set tarrif for his punishment, they have breeched his human rights!, but to say it is against the restriction of trade laws is debatable, as they are not the sporting body for all the worlds motorsport, so he could still ply his trade elsewhere!"

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