Flavio Briatore can come back to Formula One in three years
It was the scandal that rocked Formula One last year, but now “Crashgate” has been laid to rest for good. This follows the announcement that Flavio Briatore’s appeal has been successful and the Italian can return to the sport in 2013, after he completes a three-year ban.
The flamboyant former Renault boss received a lifetime ban at the original hearing which examined Renault’s tactics in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
Just to recap, the Crashgate scandal was the incident that occurred on lap 14 when Renault’s Nelson Piquet Jnr spun-out and wrecked his car on the wall of turn 17. His teammate Fernando Alonso, who was still in contention for the title, had pitted earlier and when the safety car was rolled out it allowed him to rejoin the race without losing
any ground. Alonso had qualified poorly starting back in 15th despite looking rapid in practise. He started the race with a light fuel-load and shot past the pack, hence the pit stop as his Renault had guzzled what little fuel he had. Piquet’s crash allowed the Spaniard to rejoin the race without undoing all his work and he subsequently won the race.
What a great stroke of luck for the Renault team. Or maybe not, the fly in the ointment came when Renault sacked Piquet after the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix. You should never scorn a man who holds such trusted secrets and low and behold the whole thing erupted. Piquet claiming immunity from the FIA and announced he was ordered to crash, the whole thing was a cunning ruse. You dastardly devils.
Incriminating transcripts came out as well as other condemning evidence as outrage quickly escalated. In September last year punishments were dished out; Renault got a two-year suspended ban, chief mechanic Pat Symonds was banned for five years, while Briatore was banned indefinitely and told that any driver he continued to manage would have their Super Licence revoked.
Briatore called conspiracy saying his various enemies wanted him out and there would be an appeal. We all laughed, Briatore had been stitched up good and proper, what could he possibly say or do? The man had been fairly tried and found overwhelmingly guilty. Surely his appeal had no chance.
Actually no; it turns out his appeal was immediately successful.
Who was on that jury, his family? He now has to serve a mere three years which he will no doubt spend on some beach somewhere. He was even paid a nice little lump sum of €15,000 just for good measure. Not the €1million he wanted, but still who said crime doesn’t pay?
There’s no denying that Briatore is a likable character, a large jovial Italian who swaggers around the pit lane, aviators perched on his nose, champagne in hand and a bevy of beauties following him. Have you seen his wife? Considering he resembles a mad scientist who’s been going in hard on the jammy dodger supply he must have the charm of Clark Gable, Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson put together, or he flashes the cash, it’s one or the other. The bottom line is that he was exposed as a cheat; no matter how rich or charming he is. There should be retribution and don’t give the man money, it’s almost insulting.
It seems a great injustice to both the fans the other teams. However such is life in the richest sport in the world.
No doubt we will see Briatore marauding around the pit lane once again in three years time. He would have blown his “minor settlement” on new shades, jewellery for his super-model wife and some champagne flutes for the members of his new “Briatore F1 team” while they all sun it up in Monaco, as if nothing had ever happened.
Life is just not fair.
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