Symonds Makes F1 Return with Virgin

Not many people would have seen Pat Symonds and Flavio Briatore back in Formula 1 a few years back, when the crash-gate made the headlines in 2009. And while we're still waiting to see if that's the case with the latter, it seems the former has already paved his way back into the sport.

Back when the International Automobile Federation (FIA) found Symonds guilty of being part of the crash-gate in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, both him and Briatore appealed the decision to the French Tribune de Grande Instance. And they won too, obliging the FIA to come to an agreement with them on their initial lifetime bans from FIA-sanctioned motor racing series.

Despite the fact that their ban from holding operational roles in Formula 1 runs through the 2012 season, Symonds is free to act as a consultant for any team interested in his services. And while his company Neutrino Dynamics has actually engaged in F1 consultancy last season, this year Symonds will do the same, only focusing on Marussia Virgin's operations.

“He's allowed to do consultancy work through his company,” confirmed the team's new president Graeme Lowdon in an interview with UK's News of the World. “I can see only positive things.”

The FIA also confirmed that consultancy is now subject to Symonds' ban and hinted that it has no problem with such a role.

“The FIA reached an agreement with Mr Pat Symonds in April 2010 that he would be barred from returning to the sport of formula one until the end of 2012,” said a FIA spokesman.

“However, it was also agreed at the time that Mr Symonds could act in a consultancy capacity via his own company Neutrino Dynamics. This fact was extensively reported in the media at the time. Therefore the FIA has no further comment to make on this matter,” he added.