04/08/2007
NEWS STORY
Renault team boss Flavio Briatore has waded into the row which has engulfed the sport for the last month, and which looks set to overshadow, if not destroy, the 2007 World Championship.
Speaking at the FIA Press Conference yesterday, Briatore, who has previously voiced his unease with the decision not to punish McLaren even though the World Motor Sport Council found that the Woking team was in possession of confidential Ferrari information and had therefore breached article 151c of the International Sporting Code, revealed that he would be attending the forthcoming appeal.
Asked why he will be attending the appeal, Briatore said: "Because I am in Formula One like McLaren and Ferrari.
"This issue about this story involves everybody sooner or later," he continued, "and I want to know exactly what is going on because I think it is part of our job. If you see the newspapers in the last two months we are not talking about which drivers won the race, lost the race... but the spy story, if you want, was predominating everything and because we are part of this business we demand to know exactly what is going on because it is probably damaging everybody a little bit including me, including everybody.
"Stuff like this is not good for the sponsors," he added, "it is not good for anybody. We hope we find a final step and we hope something happens. I think that is the way we stop talking about that."
However, speaking later at a briefing with the Italian media, the flamboyant team boss pulled no punches, basically accusing McLaren of cheating and calling on the British team to be thrown out of the World Championship.
Other than the issues already being discussed (and how!), Briatore cast doubt on how McLaren was able to adapt to the switch to Bridgestone rubber so easily, when his own team - like several others - took forever. "Michelin's retirement (from F1) was a disaster for Renault," he said.
The Italian accused Dennis of being the one to protest to the FIA about Renault mass damper system, which despite having been used (legally) by the French team since later 2005 was only declared illegal halfway through the 2006 season.
"He was the one who protested," the Italian declared last night. "He is not the immaculate saint he pretends to be."
Believing that Renault, like Ferrari is an "injured party", Briatore confirmed that he will personally attend the appeal, claiming that the 2007 championship has been tainted. "Not just for us and Ferrari, but for everyone," he said "Here is a team that has acquired an advantage illegally."
As for the punishment that should be meted out to the Woking team, Briatore is under no illusions: "I am not a judge," he said. "Just read the regulations, for intellectual property theft there is only one possible punishment and that is exclusion."
As far as Ron Dennis' claim that Nigel Stepney should be lauded for his role as whistle-blower is concerned.
"Hero?" Briatore scoffed. "Many people would thank their lucky stars to be working in F1. These two (Coughlan and Stepney) made tons of money, but that wasn't enough for them. They should be banned."