Cleared Briatore savours his ‘moment of happiness and joy’

FLAVIO BRIATORE is to revel in his “moment of happiness” before taking stock as to whether to return to Formula One.

Briatore believes his dignity and freedom have been restored after the Tribunal de Grande Instance (TGI) in Paris ordered the overturning of a lifetime ban from motorsport imposed by the FIA.

It is understood motorsport’s world governing body are to appeal yesterday’s decision which, if they do so, would ensure the suspension remains in force until a verdict is announced.

For now, however, former Renault team principal Briatore feels a vindicated man after the World Motor Sport Council suspended the 59-year-old Italian on September 21 for his role in the now infamous ‘crashgate’ scandal.

“I would like to express my great joy with the decision handed down by the Tribunal de Grande Instance,” said Briatore.

“The decision handed down restores to me the dignity and freedom certain people had arbitrarily attempted to deprive me of.

“The court recognised all the criticisms I had formulated against the decision of the World Council were founded, by finding the FIA had:

* rendered a decision it was not competent to pronounce

* infringed its own articles of association

* totally failed to respect my right to a fair defence

* finally, entrusted the tasks of investigation, prosecution and judgment to a principle player known by all to be hostile to me.”

Renault’s former director of engineering Pat Symonds was banned for five years by the WMSC, but the TGI have also decreed that now be quashed.

The FIA initially acted after Briatore was involved in a conspiracy which saw Nelson Piquet Jnr deliberately crash his car at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix in order to help team-mate Fernando Alonso take the win.

Although Briatore threatened legal action against Piquet Jnr and his father, Nelson Piquet Snr, that was soon dropped as the case against him gradually strengthened.

Worse followed for Briatore as Renault opted not to contest the allegation made against them by the FIA that they fixed the result of the aforementioned race.

On the same day, five days before the Council sat in judgment, Briatore and Symonds vacated their positions at the team.

Briatore refused to appear at the hearing, whilst Symonds wrote a letter in mitigation, admitting his participation in the incident to his “eternal regret and shame.”