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Briatore's lawyer: FIA appeal pointless

Flavio Briatore's lawyer says the FIA has nothing to gain from appealing the verdict of the French court that overturned the Italian's lifetime ban from motorsport

"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.

Ouakrat added that the verdict was a disaster for the governing body.

"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."

He added: "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."

Ouakrat claims the FIA's World Council will be forced to make radical changes to its structure after the verdict.

"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.

"Now, the FIA can't take disciplinary measures anymore without the risk of seeing them annulled in a civil court."

He insisted Briatore is still considering taking legal action against Nelsinho Piquet.

"We are evaluating the position in relation to the driver. But we believe that Mosley, despite being blinded by the dispute with Briatore, had acted only as president of the FIA, where it's certainly not up to us to decide whether there's still room for him."

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