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FIA to appeal Briatore court ruling

The FIA will appeal Flavio Briatore's ban © Getty Images

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• Drivers:
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• Jean Todt

The FIA has confirmed it will appeal the French Court's decision to overturn Flavio Briatore's ban from motorsport.

The court found that the original ruling by the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC), which issued Briatore and Renault's ex-technical director Pat Symonds with bans, had been "irregular". The pair were not found innocent of the original charge of conspiring to cause an accident at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, but the court said the FIA did not have the authority to sanction them as team members were outside the governing body's jurisdiction. It also criticised former-FIA president Max Mosley's position on the WMSC as he was known to be in "conflict" with Briatore at the time.

Now FIA president Jean Todt has confirmed the FIA's intention to appeal, which will mean the bans will be upheld until the full process has been carried out.

The FIA statement read: "The president of the FIA has consulted the FIA senate and the FIA's lawyers about the decision of the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris of January 5. It was unanimously agreed that an appeal would be prepared.

"In his election campaign last summer, the FIA president, Jean Todt, and his team announced new measures for constructive change, including a disciplinary procedure, would be introduced. Work on this is well advanced. Once in place, this will address the issues in the court's judgment. Nonetheless, an appeal is merited.

"While the appeal is under way, the World Motor Sport Council's decision of September 21 2009 remains in full effect. However, in view of the uncertainty this may create for drivers who may be affected by this decision, the FIA president and FIA senate have decided that, pending the outcome of the FIA's appeal, superlicences will continue to be issued to qualifying drivers in the usual way.

"The FIA president, the FIA senate, the World Motor Sport Council, and the FIA's member clubs from all countries will take whatever measures are necessary to ensure the continuing integrity and safety of the sport."

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