Flav: My dignity and freedom have been restored

Flavio Briatore is to revel in his "moment of happiness" before taking stock as to whether to return to Formula One.

Briatore believes his dignity and freedom have been restored after the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris ordered the overturning of a lifetime ban imposed by the FIA.

It is understood motorsport's world governing body are to appeal Tuesday's decision which, if they do so, would ensure the suspension remains in force until a verdict is announced.

For now, however, former Renault team principal Briatore feels a vindicated man after the World Motor Sport Council suspended the 59-year-old Italian on September 21 for his role in the now infamous 'crashgate' scandal.

"I would like to express my great joy with the decision handed down by the Tribunal de Grande Instance," said Briatore.

"I believe it important for the FIA to play the active role it deserves in automobile competition.

"As a sports person and one passionately involved in car racing for more than 20 years, the decision to apply to the civil courts to contest a decision of the FIA was a difficult one for me to take.

"The fact the World Motor Sport Council had been utilised to deal with a personal agenda aimed at pushing me out of the world of competition left me no other choice.

"The decision handed down today restores to me the dignity and freedom certain people had arbitrarily attempted to deprive me of.

"The court recognised all the criticisms I had formulated against the decision of the World Council were founded, by finding the FIA had:

* rendered a decision it was not competent to pronounce
* infringed its own articles of association
* totally failed to respect my right to a fair defence
* finally, entrusted the tasks of investigation, prosecution and judgment to a principle player known by all to be hostile to me.

"I believe justice has been done today."

With regards to a F1 return, he added: "Let me take a little time to enjoy this moment of happiness after this difficult period.

"As concerns my possible return to F1, there is plenty of time to talk about this."

The court verdict indicated the FIA's judgment was not catered for in their own statutes, whilst notably claiming there was a conflict of interests with regard to former FIA president Max Mosley's role.

The court judgement read: "The decision of the World Council was presided over by the FIA president, who was well known to be in conflict with Briatore, with Mr Mosley having played a leading role in launching the inquiry and its investigation in violation of the principle of separation of the power of the bodies.

"The decision (of the World Motor Sport Council) is not annulled but declared irregular, and rendered without effect in its provisions against Mr Briatore and Mr Symonds."

Renault's former director of engineering Pat Symonds was banned for five years by the WMSC, but the TGI have also decreed that now be quashed.

The TGI have demanded the FIA notify the teams and public, through adverts in French newspapers of Briatore and Symonds' choosing, that the bans be lifted.

The FIA initially acted after Briatore was involved in a conspiracy which saw Nelson Piquet Jnr deliberately crash his car at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix in order to help team-mate Fernando Alonso take the win.

Although Briatore threatened legal action against Piquet Jnr and his father, Nelson Piquet Snr, that was soon dropped as the case against him gradually strengthened.

Worse followed for Briatore as Renault opted not to contest the allegation made against them by the FIA that they fixed the result of the aforementioned race.

On the same day, five days before the Council sat in judgment, Briatore and Symonds vacated their positions at the team.

Briatore refused to appear at the hearing, whilst Symonds wrote a letter in mitigation, admitting his participation in the incident to his "eternal regret and shame."

After the Council handed out the sentences, Briatore later claimed Mosley was "blinded by an excessive desire for personal revenge" in pursuing the case.

Briatore further asserted Mosley "assumed the roles of complainant, investigator, prosecutor and judge," claiming the case against him was a breach of the "most basic rules of procedure and the rights to a fair trial."

Briatore's claim the FIA World Council, chaired by Mosley, was out for "personal revenge" stemmed from his involvement in plans for a breakaway series last summer.

Source: Flav: My dignity and freedom have been restored - Planet-F1 News from planet-f1.com