F1 title race will be clean fight, says Briatore
Spaniard Fernando Alonso is in a strong position to retain his title at Interlagos following his victory in Japan earlier this month.
The Renault driver needs just one point to guarantee the championship but should Michael Schumacher score anything other than a win, Alonso will be champion again.
Seven-time champion Schumacher will enter his final race in an illustrious career with his behaviour in similar title-deciding races a blemish on his record.
In 1994, he collided with Damon Hill and with Canadian Jacques Villeneuve three years later, but this is of no concern to Briatore.
“Michael is very professional and if he is involved in any accidents, then he loses the title anyway,” said Briatore.
“I know Michael very well and I don’t think there is a problem. It’s good for the press talking about that, good for the gossip and the newspapers, but it will be a normal, fair race.
“We are going there to win the race. It is like in football, if you go into a match looking for a 0-0 result then you normally lose the match.”
Alonso’s strong position has not left the Spanish driver complacent even though the only way Schumacher would win the title is if the Ferrari driver wins the race and Alonso retires.
Alonso, 25, said: “I don’t think it is all over until the final lap when you know you are champion. Anything can still happen and we are taking nothing for granted.”
Schumacher, 38, has publicly written off his chances of overhauling the 10-point deficit, but instead focuses on reclaiming the constructors’ championship for Ferrari.
“We will go on the full offensive and want a one-two because the boys deserve this title,” said the German.
“This is the only chance we have to win and that is all we can do. The constructors’ championship would be full deserved in my eyes. I am aware that after nearly 16 years this will be my last race.
“It goes without saying I want to end with a good one,” he added.
Renault lead Ferrari by nine points in the race for the constructors’ title with Briatore confirming Italian Giancarlo Fisichella will have a more powerful engine for the race with the emphasis on making sure Alonso completes the race.
Briatore said: “Fisichella will have a more powerful engine, and with Fernando we will try to play it safely but we don’t want to just finish third or fourth or fifth.
“I believe the spectators need this. It is big business, it will be a big television event, so let’s have fun and fight.”
The race in Brazil will mark the end of Renault’s long-running partnership with tobacco brand Mild Seven.
After agreeing a three-year title partnership with Dutch banking giant ING the team will be known as the ING Renault F1 team from the beginning of the 2007 season.
Meanwhile, Toyota confirmed on Wednesday that they have reached an agreement with Frenchman Franck Montagny to become their third driver next year.
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