FIA condemns Briatore over leaked appeal documents

LONDON: Formula Ones governing body hit back at former Renault team boss Flavio Briatore on Thursday after he accused them of abusing their powers in handing him a life ban from the sport.

The Guardian newspaper reported on Thursday that Briatore would be seeking at least 1 million euros in compensation as well as annulment of the penalty against him when his appeal is heard in a Paris court on November 24.

The Italian accused the FIAs World Motor Sport Council, led at the time by former FIA president Max Mosley, of being clearly blinded by an excessive desire for personal revenge in the case.

He said the FIA had breached his rights to a fair trial and also referred to the excessive and abusive power clearly exercised by both the World Council, in particular, and the FIA, in general.

In a statement, the FIA condemned the selective leaking of extracts from Mr Briatores pleadings to the Tribunal de Grande Instance.

The FIA rejects the allegations made in these leaks and confirms that the decision to impose a sanction against Mr Briatore was made by an overwhelming majority of the attending World Motor Sport Council members, the FIA statement added.

The Paris appeal is being closely watched outside Formula One, with Briatore a co-owner of English Championship (second division) football club Queens Park Rangers.

If the ban is upheld, the Italian could be forced out of the club under the leagues fit-and-proper persons rule.