One Year Ago: Briatore Official Site F1 Statement

[Zamoraaaah]

Bump a year

Well, makes a statement on the offy

FLAVIO BRIATORE STATEMENT

Posted on: Tue 20 Oct 2009
Yesterday, Flavio Briatore confirmed that he has commenced proceedings in the Paris Tribunal de Grande Instance (High Court)
challenging the decision announced by the FIA World Motor Sport Council on September 21st 2009.

The principal grounds for this action are:

The FIA's deliberate breach of the rights of the defence FIA including
- the delay in the issue of the summons;
- the failure to state the charges in advance;
- the lack of access provided to prosecution documents and to the key witness;
Breach of the rules of natural justice including
- the lack of impartiality of the body passing judgment;
- the secret negotiation of the decision content before the hearing; and
- the granting of selective immunities in order to build the prosecution's case;

The FIA's manifest excess and abuse of power including
- the penalty imposed on a non-licensee of the FIA;
- the disproportionate and illegal nature of an indefinite boycott decision; and
- the threat to refuse to renew the FIA licence in breach of the Federation's regulations and of the International Sporting Code.

Flavio Briatore intends to obtain an Order from the Court quashing the FIA's decision insofar as it relates to him, together with an Order,
subject to a penalty for non-compliance, requiring the Federation to withdraw any penalty imposed on him. He is also seeking damages and
official publication of the court's decision.

Flavio Briatore commented that "In this case, the FIA has been used as a tool to exact vengeance on behalf of one man.
This decision is a legal absurdity and I have every confidence that the French courts will resolve the matter justly and impartially."

[QPR Report]

And this from The Times

October 20, 2009

Notts County allowed to keep owners' identity secret Kevin Eason Sports

"....The test for the League is not over yet, although another potential headache is on the shelf for now. The investigation into Flavio Briatore, the Queens Park Rangers chairman, has been put on hold until after the outcome of the Italian’s legal action to clear his name in Formula One’s “Crashgate” affair.

Briatore was expected to fall foul of the League’s fit and proper persons test because he is banned by another sporting body, which could have meant him being stripped of his directorship of the Coca-Cola Championship club. But lawyers are thought to have told Lord Mawhinney, the League chairman, that his hands are tied until after the outcome of the court action started this week in Paris.

The continuing uncertainty will frustrate QPR fans, who want to know what is going to happen to Briatore’s co-ownership of their club. It is a month since Briatore was banned for life from Formula One after the FIA, the world governing body of motor racing, decided he, as the Renault managing director, ordered Nelson Piquet Jr to crash his car at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix so that Fernando Alonso, his team-mate, could win.

The ban — which included preventing him from managing his drivers, who include Mark Webber and Alonso, as well as having any business interests in motor racing — was the most stringent imposed on an individual in the sport.

Briatore warned Mawhinney on Friday that he was preparing to launch a legal action against the FIA. But the issue lies on the table until after the decision of the courts in Paris, with a full hearing expected late next month.
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article6882971.ece

[Macmoish]

Bump a year...Was never clear why this should have been on the QPR Official Site - when so many other non-QPR issues involving various Board members, was not mentioned on our official site.