Ban on Flavio Briatore too harsh, says Bernie Eccelstone

[qblockpete]

Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One commercial rights-holder, spoke yesterday of his sorrow for his friend, Flavio Briatore, the former managing director of the Renault Formula One team, and said that he felt the Italian had been overly punished by the FIA.

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[MYU]

Flavio was a threat to F1 because teams wanted to part away, now they have Flavio gone it's not going to happen, the only man who could have made that happen was Flavio Briatore.

They trapped him and made sure he can't get anywhere near F1, that's harsh!

[Robbo]

And....
Briatore, 59, is reported to be considering legal action against the FIA to clear his name, saying he was “distraught” that his reputation had been so damaged. But Kuldip Singh, QC, one of Britain’s leading sports lawyers, believes that Briatore’s case was fatally wounded when he failed to show up at the FIA court hearing on Monday in Paris to defend himself.

“Whether he sues in Paris or in an English court, he is going to have to give an explanation for why he did not defend himself,” he said. “He would seem likely to fail there. If he was to argue in some way that the prosecution falls short of legal requirements, I think he will be skating on thin ice when it comes to the fit and proper persons test.”


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