The 59-year-old Italian took his case to the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris claiming the FIA did not have legal grounds to issue him with a wholesale ban.
Renault's former director of engineering, Pat Symonds, has also had his five-year suspension quashed by the TGI.
However, Briatore and Symonds have only received 15,000 and 5,000 euros apiece (£13,500 and £4,500) in damages after initially seeking one million and 500,000 euros (£900,000 and £450,000) respectively.
The FIA now have 15 days to pay the duo, otherwise they will be liable to a penalty of 10,000 euros (£9,000) per day.
Motor sport's world governing body are currently looking into their options and considering whether to launch an appeal, a course of action Briatore has advised them against doing.
"I wouldn't do it after such a verdict," remarked the former Renault team principal in Gazzetta dello Sport.
Briatore, however, may now go gunning for the Piquets as it was they who blew the whistle on the 'crashgate' scandal.
Asked if he would now take action against the Piquets, Briatore replied: "That's very likely. The bad that has been done to me won't be forgotten in one day."
Briatore's problem, however, is the Tribunal merely stated the FIA sanction was "irregular" as it did not comply with their statutes.
At no stage has the TGI reversed the FIA's finding that both Briatore and Symonds conspired to cause an intentional crash.
Clearly in a feisty mood, however, Briatore may also take action against those drivers who opted to break away from his management company, notably Heikki Kovalainen and Lucas di Grassi.
"Except for Kovalainen and di Grassi, my relationship with the other drivers has never changed," added Briatore, who also oversees the likes of Mark Webber.
"In fact, now we'll analyse the situation with the lawyers to see whether we should take legal action against anyone who has broken the contracts with us."
Briatore's main source of anger, though, remains directed at former FIA president Max Mosley who he once described as "complainant, investigator, prosecutor and judge" in the case against him.
"It was a case of vengeance from Mosley, who has always managed the FIA and the World Council as if it was private property," remarked Briatore.
"He had reassured me, telling me they understood I didn't have anything to do with that story. Then came that verdict. It was an ignoble thing after 18 years of F1."
In other news,
Sauber are the first of the 13 Formula One teams to announce the unveiling of their car ahead of the new season. Team principal Peter Sauber and director Willy Rampf are to take the wraps off their challenger at the Valencia circuit on January 31 ahead of the first test session that runs from February 1-3.
The team claim both drivers will also be on hand, although as yet Sauber have only confirmed Kamui Kobayashi, with a number of names in the frame for the second seat.
After nine years in F1, the Finn is certainly invigorated ahead of the opening rally in Sweden that starts on February 10, admitting to "finding a bit of the young Kimi in me again."
Speaking to the Red Bulletin magazine, asked what a WRC crown would mean to him, Raikonnen replied: "More than my F1 World Championship title." Assessing his chances, he added: "I'm just starting out and I can sense what a long journey it would be to get to that point.
"It's definitely the biggest challenge yet. I've got to learn everything from scratch.
"But I want the challenge. I have to get to know the car, the rallies, how to work with my co-driver, everything.
"I'm looking forward to it, and you've got to set yourself some competition if you really want to know how good you are.
His comeback means the German will be the oldest driver on the 2010 grid as he turned 41 last Sunday. But despite his age, Brawn is confident Schumacher still has what it takes to beat the best, citing his recent results in the Race of Champions and Felipe Massa's karting event as proof of this.
"I have got no doubts that the talent and the ability are still there," Brawn told Autosport.
"You see little flashes of it when he takes part in competitions like the Race of Champions and karting races.
"They are not an absolute measure, but always the same guys win in them that win in F1. The guys that Schumacher beat in those events says a lot."
But it's just talent and ability that Schumacher has in abundance, as Brawn insists the seven-time World Champion still has the motivation needed to succeed at the very top.
"We saw last year when he had the opportunity to drive for Ferrari that it re-lit the passion," said Brawn.
"I asked him whether he really wanted to do it (come back) and he said that he did."
No comments:
Post a Comment