Bernie and Briatore - F1 Update

[qblockpete]

Quote from autosport

Ecclestone also revealed that his friendship with Briatore had been strained by the events of recent days.

When asked for his opinion on how Briatore was handling what had happened, Ecclestone said: "He's not talking to me, I don't know. He thinks I should have defended him, which I couldn't."

[Nodge70]

To be fair, I though Bernie defended him more than anyone else!

Flav seems to have go the hump and has gone to his bejewelled room to sulk and turn his music up!

[MYU]

To be fair, I though Bernie defended him more than anyone else!

Flav seems to have go the hump and has gone to his bejewelled room to sulk and turn his music up!

I agree and think he did but like Bernie said he couldn't do much more.

[JeanD]

Wouldnt surprise me if there was no friendship. Bernie & Flav are are united by money and work, two rich people in the same F1 club. They had a shared interest before the Piquet saga. Now I wonder whether Flav is an embarassment to Bernie. Can Bernie maintain business links at QPR with a fella that has been banned, blackballed, by the FIA? I think not.

[Robbo]

So basically, Flav is sulking.
Because he's been given a smack on the nose, and he's not used to that kind of stuff. Far more used to dishing out the tough stuff.

Classic bully behaviour.

[MYU]

Flavio did say to PK if he was not to crash he will lose his place did he?

PK thought that himself as he quoted and did it because he wanted to keep his drive for next year.

I've walked out of a job because I didn't agree with a boss who wanted me to cheat people, PK could have done the same don't you think?

[Robbo]

Flavio did say to PK if he was not to crash he will lose his place did he?

PK thought that himself as he quoted and did it because he wanted to keep his drive for next year.

I've walked out of a job because I didn't agree with a boss who wanted me to cheat people, PK could have done the same don't you think?

Yes, but he's obviously a spineless muppett.
As well as being a s**t driver.

But unless he's been given the job to drive the QPR players mini-bus past the nasty old Springbok after games, he's not involved with QPR. And he's certainly not the majority shareholder and owner.
So not really bothered about him.



(Unless of course he smashed it through the front of the chip shop)

[QuarterPoundeR]

Briatore ban too harsh

Says Bernie.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8272812.stm

[Robbo]

Says Bernie.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/moto...ne/8272812.stm

"Bernie" also says:

"He should ask to be heard by the court of appeal. He should appeal to the FIA," said Ecclestone

"If he goes to a civil court... the FIA would have to defend and somebody will say that he sent a young guy out to what could have been to his death. It wouldn't go down too well, I wouldn't think."

Ecclestone and Briatore are friends as well as business partners, having bought Championship football side Queens Park Rangers, along with steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, in 2007.

And Ecclestone admitted his part in Briatore's ban had affected their friendship.

"He's not talking to me. He thinks I should have defended him, which I couldn't," said the billionaire.

"Honestly, I am a friend of Flavio's. He has just handled the whole thing badly. He could have handled it in a completely different way... and that would have been the end of it."

[essexhoop]

TBH - i think there is a lot of race fixing going on in f1, the FIA knows it, the harsh sentance was simply to set a precedent to try to deter other people from doing the same (except ferrari obviously)

[Harps 55]

Ecclestone Briatore ban is 'harsh'

Flavio Briatore's life ban for race fixing was too harsh and the former Renault team boss should appeal to Formula One's governing body, according the sport's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

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The Briton said the departure of the flamboyant Italian, banished this week by FIA for his role in Nelson Piquet's deliberate crash at last year's Singapore Grand Prix, was a loss to the sport.

"In my opinion it was quite harsh on Flavio," the 78-year-old billionaire, Briatore's friend and business partner, said over lunch in Singapore.

"I don't think it was necessary, but I was on the (FIA)commission so I am probably just as guilty as anyone else. On reflection it wasn't necessary."

Ecclestone, in the city-state for this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, nodded when asked if Formula One would miss Briatore.

"Absolutely... We need people like him. It was too much." The motorsport ty****, relaxed and jovial in a bright white shirt, said he felt Briatore may have been better served if he had acted differently ahead of the FIA world motor sport council hearing in Paris last Monday.

"He was invited to appear... and his lawyers said the FIA have no jurisdiction as far as he is concerned, which was probably right - but it was not the right thing to say," said Ecclestone.

"It would have been just as easy to say 'I was caught with my hand in the till, it seemed a good idea at the time, and I am sorry.' There is an organisation that works very, very well on that idea - where the people go to a box and confess," he smiled.

"Honestly, I am a friend of Flavio's. He has just handled the whole thing badly. He could have handled it in a completely different way... and that would have been the end of it."

Ecclestone urged Briatore to appeal to the FIA but steer clear of any legal action.

"He should ask to be heard by the court of appeal. He should appeal to the FIA," he said.

"If he goes to a civil court...the FIA would have to defend and somebody will say that he sent a young guy out to what could have been to his death. It wouldn't go down too well, I wouldn't think."

The FIA dealt Renault a suspended permanent ban from Formula One, with engineering head Pat Symonds barred for five years. Piquet escaped punishment under an immunity granted in return for giving evidence.