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Indefinite ban for former Renault chief casts doubt on his future as co-owner of Queens Park Rangers. By Matt Majendie
FLAVIO BRIATORE could be forced out of Queens Park Rangers after he was handed an indefinite ban from motor sport today. The World Motor Sport Council suspended him from taking part in any FIA-sanctioned events for an unlimited period for his role in Crashgate when he plotted with former driver Nelson Piquet Jr to deliberately drive into a wall at last year’s Singapore GP.
The repercussions could spell the end of the flamboyant Italian’s tenure at QPR. The Football League board will meet next month to discuss his role as chairman of the club’s parent company, QPR Holdings, and it remains to be seen whether the 59-year-old will pass the Fit and Proper Person test.
Under current rules, nobody can be a director or hold a majority interest in a club if they are “subject to a ban from a sports governing body relating to the administration of their sport”.
Briatore’s stake in the Championship outfit could yet be bought by co-owner billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, the steel billionaire, who is reportedly said to be keen to buy Briatore’s share.
The FIA ruling will also end Briatore’s lucrative management business of some of Formula One’s leading drivers, among them Alonso, Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton’s team-mate Heikki Kovalainen and, ironically, Piquet.
Under the specifics of his ban, no drivers connected with Briatore will have the superlicence required to race in F1 renewed unless they end their association with him.
Today’s hearing, headed by FIA president Max Mosley and the World Motor Sport Council, took less than an hour to complete at the FIA’s Paris headquarters as Renault opted not to contest the charges of having deliberately fixed last year’s Singapore race.
Indefinite ban for former Renault chief casts doubt on his future as co-owner of Queens Park Rangers. By Matt Majendie
FLAVIO BRIATORE could be forced out of Queens Park Rangers after he was handed an indefinite ban from motor sport today. The World Motor Sport Council suspended him from taking part in any FIA-sanctioned events for an unlimited period for his role in Crashgate when he plotted with former driver Nelson Piquet Jr to deliberately drive into a wall at last year’s Singapore GP.
The repercussions could spell the end of the flamboyant Italian’s tenure at QPR. The Football League board will meet next month to discuss his role as chairman of the club’s parent company, QPR Holdings, and it remains to be seen whether the 59-year-old will pass the Fit and Proper Person test.
Under current rules, nobody can be a director or hold a majority interest in a club if they are “subject to a ban from a sports governing body relating to the administration of their sport”.
Briatore’s stake in the Championship outfit could yet be bought by co-owner billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, the steel billionaire, who is reportedly said to be keen to buy Briatore’s share.
The FIA ruling will also end Briatore’s lucrative management business of some of Formula One’s leading drivers, among them Alonso, Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton’s team-mate Heikki Kovalainen and, ironically, Piquet.
Under the specifics of his ban, no drivers connected with Briatore will have the superlicence required to race in F1 renewed unless they end their association with him.
Today’s hearing, headed by FIA president Max Mosley and the World Motor Sport Council, took less than an hour to complete at the FIA’s Paris headquarters as Renault opted not to contest the charges of having deliberately fixed last year’s Singapore race.
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