Formula One 2009 season (F1 motor racing)

5 year ban for Symonds and indefinate for Briatore seems fair enough.

Suspended ban...means they still race. Any further fuck-up then the ban kicks in and they're out of competition for 2 years. I guess Flavio's FIA ban doesn't effect his management role at all?

Flavio's ban extends to not being able to manage any F1 drivers. He currently has Alonso, Webber, Grosjean and Heikki.

Not to mention he also manages Piquet Jr.

According to the BBC Flavio's ban includes any involvement in FIA sanctioned events including Driver Management!

He owns the contracts to many of the current and upcoming F1 Drivers

Perhaps he'll have to setup a rival none FIA F1.

Hmm, does the ban exclude Briartore from applying for the FIA president's role, or has that already closed anyway?

Can't help thinking the Renault F1 team have got off lightly, even if their top two guys did go, although I'm not surprised in the least. Not only are they not McLaren, but they have been long threatening to leave F1 and despite all the powerplays, it's not in F1's interest to lose any more manufacturers.

I see the british FA are trying to decide if Flavio is a sitable person to own a football team. I think he may be kicked ot of that too.

Given the sorts of people who are owning football clubs these days he's probably way more suitable than most, even after what he's done and possible maffia connections.

I do think, in their defence, that it is probably the work of just 2 rogue employees. I don't think orders came from higher up, and I don't think most of the team knew what was happening (although a few may have guessed after the event).

So if you are a huge organisation with thousands of employees it seems unfair to be hit massively due to a pair of bad apples.

By all means sue the shit out of the Flavio and his sidekick, but don't penalise Renault the company 'cos that just whacks employees, shareholders and F1.

Neslon has now said he wants to drive in F1 again, he suggests that a prospective team would be able to see that he was stifled at Renault. 

Well he seemed to have something of a problem staying on the track in general. I guess he would have to prove they were all under duress first?

I can't imagine any team being desperate enough to risk hiring Nelson now, what with all this baggage: he allowed himself fall completely under the influence of his manager & boss, agreed to crash his car on purpose, actually did crash his car, kept quiet about this until he was fired then spilled the beans in a fit of pique (or in his case in a fit of Piquet)... unless of course his dad pays some impecunious team to take him on with no salary.

not to mention attempted to blackmail said team before going to the press.

Flavio's defense, I suppose he was thinking: If the silly sod is going to crash anyway why not put the 100s of thousands it'll cost me to good use?

Witness 'X' (read this morning's Times) has said, and it apparently hasn't been denied, that the whole plan was Nelson's idea - merely confirmed by Symonds and Briatore (who, after chatting to a sports lawyer yesterday on a separate case, will be out of QPR fairly soon).