AFP/Roslan Rahmanview photoPARIS (AFP) - FIA president Max Mosley defended the lifetime ban meted out to Flavio Briatore on Monday for the Italian's part in conspiring to fix the result of last year's Singapore Grand Prix.
"It's sad because he's been in motor sport for 20 years, more actually. It's sad to see a career end like that, but what else could we do?" said Mosley after the hearing into the Renault cheating scandal.
AFP/Boris Horvatview photoBriatore quit as team boss of Renault last week ahead of Monday's FIA hearing into Renault's ordering of Nelson Piquet junior to crash to orchestrate a win for his teammate Fernando Alonso.
Aside from the flamboyant Italian, FIA also handed down a ban - suspended until the end of the 2011 season - to Renault.
Motorsport's governing body also banned for five years Renault's director of engineering Pat Symonds, who like Briatore quit the team last week.
Mosley, commenting on the pair's differing fates, said: "Briatore's problems were that he denied and continued to deny it even when it had become clear that he was implicated.
view photo"He can no longer be associated with a team, with a championship. He can no longer get into the paddock of a FIA event. He can no longer be a driver's manager," added Mosley of the flamboyant Italian who has management contracts with Fernando Alonso, Heikki Kovalainen, Mark Webber, Romain Grosjean and Piquet Jnr.
Piquet, who as whistleblower was given immunity for his part in the conspiracy, fell out dramatically with Briatore who sacked the Brazilian in August.
He revealed how the man he had previously labelled his "executioner" had backed him into a corner and left him little option but to go along with the conspiracy.
"All I can tell you is that my situation at Renault turned into a nightmare," he told his website.
"Having dreamed of being a Formula One driver and having worked so hard to get there, I found myself at the mercy of Mr Briatore.
"His true character, which had previously only been known to those he had treated like this in the past, is now known.
"Mr Briatore was my manager, as well as the team boss. He had my future in his hands, but he cared nothing for it.
"By the time of the Singapore GP he had isolated me and driven me to the lowest point I had ever reached in my life.
"Now that I am out of that situation I cannot believe that I agreed to the plan, but when it was put to me I felt I was in no position to refuse.
"Listening now to Mr Briatore's reaction to my crash and hearing the comments he has made to the press over the last two weeks it is clear to me I was simply being used by him then to be discarded and left to ridicule."
Mosley meanwhile believes the decision not to kick Renault out of the sport for good was the correct one.
"I think it's the right decision. I think the blame has been placed where the blame should be placed.
"The penalty we have imposed is the harshest one we can inflict, which is disqualification, and it is complete expulsion from the sport.
"However, because Renault have demonstrated they had absolutely no moral responsibility for what took place - that's to say Renault F1 the team didn't know, and still less of course the company - it would be wrong in the circumstances to impose an immediate penalty."
Renault's ban is suspended until the end of the 2011 season and will only be activated if they are found guilty of a similar offence.
Crashgate is the latest and arguably the most damaging of a wave of scandals to hit F1 but Mosley, who is standing down as FIA president in October, insists F1 will survive.
"It's going to continue to operate. Things will continue as they have always done."
With regard Renault's future in F1, when asked whether they would remain in the sport, as they are committed to do through to the end of 2012, Mosley issued a firm "yes."
Comment 8 - 27 of 27
Now that the only thing that remains is for Alonso to confess that he knew exactly what was going on in Singapore and for Hollywood to buy the screening rights, has anybody noticed that Kimi Raikonnen has signed for his old team now known as the Mercedes 'B' team ?
With Alonso so clearly implicated in crashgate I am wondering how long it will take for Santander and Ferrari to offer the vacant seat to either Lewis McLaren Forever Hamilton, or Jenson 'to the highest bidder' Button.
Will the Hamilton's patience run out with McLaren before Jenson signs for Ferrari ?
Now that Rosberg is practically assured a Daimler sponsored drive at Brawn and Ross showing big love for a probably ridiculously cheap Rubens would it be in Jenson's interest to wait for Ross to offer him a contract for next season ?
If Mr Piquet Jr had the slightest modicum of moral fibre he would not have felt backed into a corner by Briatore in the first place. I am sure Fisi would have told Briatore exactly what to do with 'crashgate' plan.
Certainly the FIA "judgement" must mean that the Singapore results cannot stand...
It does not follow that Massa would have won the championship.....Hamilton was "judged" by the FIA in a most odd way ...the result lost him championship points.
You would have to study ALL the 2008 races to come to fair decision on that one..
As we appear to no longer have a body capable of consistent and fair judgement of F1..
and the rules can be "interpreted"...to suit individual teams and circumstances.....
just what can we expect from F1 over the coming years.....??
Son of dawn, who is this 'we' ? Its only you in your twisted sense of what might have been. And, who is going to'make him give it back' ?
lol - Enough of your stupid comments, young un.
Son of dawn, lol - DID U SEE MR MASSA SENIOR JUMPIN ROUND FOR JOY ? lol - ONLY TO LEARN THAT HIS (i had a dream i was world champion (!)) son - had in fact, NOT WON IT. And will probably now never even SIT in a F1 car again ? That was the picture of the season for me ! I would imagin you were in tears ? Young kid - that dont know @#$% about F1.
Son of Dawn ?
Skin of @#$% !
I hope the other team managers can see what is really happening, and form the breakaway series - before it is too damn late. Max got Ron Dennis kicked out, (although renault had more of mclarens data than Mclaren had of the Ferraris), now max has got another challenger to his presidency, kicked out. OK, cheating like that cant be condoned, but, ywe have to look at the bigger picture here. We need Max Mosely OUT before it is too late, and we WILL HAVE ANOTHER FORM OF A1 racing.
Massa True '08' Champ!, We all know it, Do the right thing Lewis hand it over before you are made to!!!.
A thought which comes to mind regarding Mosley (and Bernie)and their "political" tinkering in F1......the manufacturers will quickly see that F1 is becoming a lame duck in terms of advertising/ ethics/ company profile/ etc..........
When they walk away...........perhaps the "Breakaway F1" will be reborn.........
Cleaner....meaner....better.....!!
We ll ...we can but...hope....
So whose the next team that pissed off Max, to be put under the spotlight!
He aint finished yet, A few bum cheeks very tightly together I would think in some of the other teams until he goes!
i don't see any proof. Where's the proof?
Confess to be saved...wasn't that one of the inquisitions tactics?
Mosley is a lawyer and should know better. Shame on you max, you should have gone last year
This is to Nelson Piquet Jr. -
What drove you to the lowest point you had ever reached in your life was not Flavio, but was the simple fact that YOU SUCK as a race car driver and as a human being. You have always blamed everyone else for your problems. You need to grow up.
That blow up you had with the press for calling you "Jr." was the most immature tirade I have seen in motor sports and left most of us with little respect for you. Your continuing whining about everyone and every thing around you combined with your crappy lap times is what got you canned. Why should Flavio have given a @#$% about you if you had no talent?
Just my 2 cents.
So could you explain Mr Mosley...why no fine was imposed (as in the McClaren case).
Not ALL the team where implicated in THAT judgement....but it did not stop a massive fine being imposed....
We could go on and on with facts which display the nonsense which is FIA "judgement".
Max...you only ever wanted Briatore out of F1....for your own political reasons...
but you did not want to hurt Renault...(you did the same on Ron Dennis)...you really are a vile specimen............
what an absolute waste of time that was...........
all renault have to do is keep their noses clean for two and all is back to normal, they have got away scot free.....no punishment at all.........
SON OF A TW AT, you thick @#$%, Massa's pit crew cost him the race. Who knows if they would have had the problem of not. The fact is everyone else entered the pits and got out ok.
Thank god for Max Mosely saving formula 1,Without Max it would be horrendous to think it will not be governed properly............................................... ........What a @#$%!
They did naff all except use Briatore's sacking as though it were a victory for themselves.
FIA....Fists inside ....oles.
be interested to know what maclaern would have received for this i dont even mind the cheating ! its a vendeter max got his way and rid of the loony the FIA are a joke
Massa True '08' Champ!, We all know it, Do the right thing Lewis hand it over before you are made to!!!.
#6 Suspended means that it will hang over them for 2 years - If they (Renault) put one foot wrong, the ban 'could' happen. In a nutshell - they got off lightly.
The perv got his scalp (Flav) - That's all that matters to him.
Tifoso Answer to you question. F**k all. Mostly this is a Max versus Flavio thing as was the Mclaren debacle a personal thing against Max against Ron.
I wonder if this ban on Flavio would disqualify him from standing for president of the F.I.A?
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