Briatore’s Lawyer: FIA’s World Council Can’t Exist Anymore

Flavio Briatore’s lawyer, Philippe Ouakrat stepped up today to state that in his opinion the FIA can’t win anything by appealing to the French court’s decision. Ouakrat argued the verdict was a disaster for the governing body, which should now accept it will have to make radical changes to its World Council structure. "First of all we aim at having the verdict enforced. In any case, the FIA has zero chances if it decides to appeal," Philippe Ouakrat was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport. "It's a real cataclysm for them. They prefer to shut up like a clam. We would have liked to find a different solution, but Briatore now has a real boulevard ahead of him." "The FIA could take a step backwards. Up to now Briatore has accepted to save the team, but he will never accept his name to be linked to a cheat. We could ask for compensation for the damages suffered by my client's driver management company. The figures would be a lot more important," Briatore’s lawyer continued. "The court has practically granted all our requests, but the most serious element is the one that casts a doubt over the FIA World Council's structure itself, which in fact can't exist anymore," he said. "It is against French and international laws for an organism to be jury, procedural body and investigating body at the same time, with the president of an institution that decides who to investigate, that controls investigators, and that presides the judging organ.”