The FIA ​​and Briatore on common ground

The legal imbroglio which involves Pat Symonds, Flavio Briatore and the FIA ​​therefore ends. The International Automobile Federation decided to put an end to it, preferring to stop the costs and find an amicable agreement with the two men. They had been condemned by the World Motor Sport Council following the affair of Nelson Piquet Jr?s intentional accident at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. Symonds had received a five-year suspension, while Briatore had been suspended for life of any function in motorsport stamped FIA.

Flavio Briatore was scandalized by this verdict and took the matter to court, based on the partiality of the people who voted for this sanction. On January 5, the two men were cleared, the Paris High Court citing the irregularity of the CMSA decision. It was then the FIA ​​which appealed, before ending the procedure on Monday.

« The decision of the Paris High Court made on January 5, 2010 at the request of Messrs Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds, and which the FIA ​​appealed, revealed a poor understanding of the functioning of the disciplinary procedure before the World Sports Council Automotive (CMSA), explains the FIA ​​press release. In accordance with the commitments of the FIA ​​President during his campaign, it will be proposed to the next FIA General Assembly at the end of 2010 to adopt a structural reform on which the FIA ​​Statutes Reform Committee is currently working, in order to prevent any further misunderstanding.

Meeting in Bahrain on March 11, 2010, the CMSA decided in the meantime, on the one hand to adopt a vade mecum aimed at clarifying the operation of its disciplinary procedure, and on the other hand to give full powers to the President of the FIA to seek a definitive judicial or extrajudicial outcome to the disputes with Messrs. Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds, preserving the best interests of the FIA.

After discussions between their lawyers and those of the FIA, Messrs Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds each made a settlement offer to the President of the FIA ​​with a view to putting an immediate end to the legal proceedings.

Recognizing each one's share of responsibility in the accident caused by driver Nelson Piquet Junior at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, as "team principal" of Renault F1 regarding Mr. Flavio Briatore, they expressed their regrets and apologized to the FIA.

They have undertaken to abstain from any operational function in Formula 1 until December 31, 2012, as well as in all other competitions on the FIA ​​calendars until the end of the 2011 sporting season.

They also waived all publicity measures and financial provisions of the judgment of January 5, 2010, as well as any other action against the FIA ​​regarding this matter.

In return, they asked the FIA ​​to abandon the current appeal procedure, without recognizing the merits of the criticisms formulated against the CMSA decision of September 21, 2009, as well as any new action against them. about this matter.

Considering that the judgment of January 5, 2010 related only to the form and not to the substance of the CMSA decision of September 21, 2009 and that the commitments and waivers of Messrs. Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds are in line with the will of the CMSA, the President of the FIA ​​considered that it is in the best interest of the FIA ​​not to allow highly publicized legal disputes to persist which, whatever the outcome, are very prejudicial for the image of the FIA ​​and motorsport, and therefore to accept this transactional solution, which thus puts an end to this matter. »