Flavio returns! Perhaps, but only after continued French legal drama
January 5, 2010 by vmr
Filed under People & Events, Top Story
Tuesday, a lower-level French court overturned the FIA’s lifetime ban of Flavio Briatore and awarded him 15,000 euros as compensation for the FIA’s illegal sanction, according to Reuters. The story also mentioned that the FIA would appeal. On the face of it, this looks like a return to F1 and driver management for Briatore, but the likelihood that is it so is slim, as the court which overturned the ban is only the first level of civil courts in France.
There is still a long way to go before the French Supreme Court or a higher appellate court can make a final determination. Also, there is an indication that the court did not find Briatore’s arguments as compelling as he would have liked, as previously leaked court documents suggest that he was asking for 100 million euros in compensation, not 15,000. While it is still difficult to find the actual decision online, knowing the legal system here in the states, as well as certain elements of the French culture and the dogged determination of FIA lawyers, one can be certain that this is not the end in a situation that began with Nelson Piquet, Jr. purposefully crashing his car during the 2008 Singapore GP.
While it is much easier to say that the suspended ban for Renault was the correct decision (as I have ad nauseum), the Briatore and Symonds punishments are another story. Technically not license holders of the FIA, they cannot be punished by the WMSC, and their sentences are particularly worded so that the punishment falls on any team or entrant that might hire either man. Whether the French court system takes that into consideration will be determined once the decision proper has been released.
Should Briatore return, however, it is certain that he will be a polarizing force in F1, as he always has been. I am of the mind that, cheating aside, he is a benefit to the paddock and public relations for his flamboyance and ability to cut directly to the heart of a subject without being overly-careful in his speech. With Max Mosley, Ron Dennis, and Flavio Briatore gone, there are far fewer men of panache in the paddock. While many watch F1 for the racing and technical fighting between the teams, there is a frisson of tension and comedy added by the political machinations and drama amongst the drivers and team principles and between them and FIA leaders that heightens the allure of the sport. Its a soap opera for men (and women) that often makes fans laugh. Who will step forward and continue the drama? Bring back Flav, but only after a suitable period of punishment.
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I might be being overly optimistic, but I think this really could be the end of the matter. Will Todt dare appeal as he tries to show the paddock that he’s a new man? Besides, would a higher court in France entertain an appeal?
The French Supreme Court is liable to say it has better things to do. (I know the FIA is based in Paris, but many things are, and that loyalty only goes so far, especially when the FIA so roundly rejects proper legal intervention in everyday affairs. I could imagine an attitude of: “and NOW you want our help?”)
Todt would surely be smart to let it lie, and the man in the red sweaters never struck me as dim. If he appeals, he’s just drawing more attention to the utterly flawed processes and dictatorial rule in his own house.
regardless of future rulings…. today I am happy
It would be dissappointing if Jean Todt allowed an appeal to happen. I can see not wanting to overturn a predecessor’s decision outright, but if the courts render a decision Todt should let it be. Clearly, the punishment for Briatore was far more harsh then any of the others and I’m with Flavio when he says he believes it to be a personal vendetta.
what’s best of all this is that Symonds’ penalty was also thrown out.
Personal vendetta might have been knowing Max’s “slap me hard” personality, but why to people want this guy back (including you guys) is beyond me.
His interesting personality as you guys call it, was nothing more that him being a twit. His not flamboyant, his just an ass. Are everyone who follow F1 so desperate that they will accept with joy anyone who likes to throw whatever bullshit comes out of his mouth just so they can have someone different? If that’s the problem the put me in the paddock. I will say whatever comes to my head and at least i don’t cheat and suck the blood of people. I promise i will throw so much smartass comments every week that you will love me and praise my flamboyant personality. I ‘ll even leak photos of me with a revealing speedo for all the funs to enjoy and i promise i look better with it than Flavio does.
I think it’s about time we realize the difference between an interesting personality and just an opportunistic big mouth Italian mafioso.
At least he had the balls to criticize the sport and its obvious failings, and to at least pretend to stand up to the powers that be. It’s the way of the 21st century in all sports, but anyone who goes against the softly-spoken, PR-friendly grain – in any way – is alright by me.
Sure he has been caught cheating, but don’t tell me there’s no blood on Domenicali, Whitmarsh, Newey, or Gascoyne’s hands! We just don’t have the gory details.
He didn’t go against any system he was just a big mouth. He was in bet with the system for a long time. His fight was Max was only a resent one and he was in the sport mostly for his own gain. Ron went against the system a lot more than he ever did.
The latest cheating scandal was one of many. And am not talking about that at all. He was in general a mafioso kind of guy.
And if you wanted to say names i think you would have bigger chances with names like Montezemolo, Bernie, Todt, Brawn.
Ah yes, but those are becoming yesterday’s men, which is why I went with some of the active team players. The whole point is we’re missing Ron, Jean is in his new role, Luca’s stepping back a bit, and Bernie, well he’s no spring chicken either. Flav seemed one of the stronger figures who better understood F1 that still had years ahead of him.
This is why I tried to say Flavio only pretended to go against the system, and only when it suited him.
I have given up on trying to oppose nepotism, inbreeding, and duplicitousness in F1 more generally, it’s just a losing battle! If we took the mafioso fellows away from the paddock, and the dodgy investors, and the political biases, soon we wouldn’t have any racing at all!
Completely with Monad on this one. Flavio was FIA insider, Him talking about Mosley and same person being investigator and executioner is simply case of Kettle calling pot black.
Wasn’t he himself the same in his role as Team principle and Driver Manager,
Ask Trulli who was unfairly thrown out of Renault or JPM whose “Telefonica” backed move to Renault was blocked by Flavio the team-boss to make way for drivers he managed.
On thing I concur with you is Everyone in Paddock had blood on their hand, Flavio for once got caught.
One day he crossed some line
And he was too much in this world.. Remember New York Minute Anyone ?
Flavio Briatore may be a lot of things, polarizing is definitely one, but a “twit” he is not. Personal opinions of him, and the reasons for having them aside, the man has given a lot to this sport…and Yes that includes a personality that is in direct contrast to the vapid troop of PR slaves that is the rest of the F1 paddock.
I’ve never liked “Flava Flav” and I doubt I ever will. He and his ilk only serve to lower the bar of professionalism to that of a go-kart race. When he speaks, I hear a 5 year old crying over a skinned knee or a schoolyard bully demanding lunch money. It’s pathetic, and yet I still find myself laughing at him. Laughing, as wishing he would just GO AWAY.
My apologies to any go-kart racers who may see this.
Laughing, and wishing he would just GO AWAY.
I guess I should make a resolution to proofread.
if flav gets reinstated,than piquet is the big loser here for sure
can imagine the piquets are pretty pissed about this news
I would be really surprised if Flav was ever heavily involved in F1 again – after all it was the ban that was overruled and not the verdict…but then you never know with the Politics-Circus that is F1.
Frankly, if Piquet is still allowed to drive an F1 car then Flav and certainly Pat should be allowed back in F1.
To give someone who no-one could PROVE was involved in the scandal a life time ban is just madness.
Wonder how Todt will deal with this? Will he stick by the FIA and it’s old ways or be seen to move on by not appealing and swallowing the FIA’s pride?
Off-season has never been so much fun :)
The problem, in Flav’s case, is that no one really had the chance to prove OR disprove his involvement, although I found it curious how quickly and quietly he fell on his own sword. Methinks he knew very well about this crash plot.
Now FIA has been both undermined and seriously embarrassed (yet again) because Mosley used it as his Instrument of Stone Cold Personal Retribution™.
So your question, Nikki, is a good one: what should FIA do? Save face and appeal the appeal? Or does Todt use this as an opportunity to draw a line under the Mosley era, lick his wounds and get on with the job of governing in a fair and correct manner?
No doubt 2010 is the time we’ll get to hear about many of the unbecoming, personally motivated things Mosley is likely to have done. I hope Todt will act decisively to put sufficient distance between his regime and Mosley’s, so it has a chance to be effective.