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Briatore's future is on hold

October 14 - 20, 2009
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Flavio Briatore must wait to discover if he has a future as a QPR co-owner as the Football League seeks clarification from him on a number of issues.

The Italian was discussed at a Football League meeting on Thursday in relation to the Fit and Proper Persons Test.

Briatore was banned from FIA-sanctioned events after an F1 race-fixing scandal.

Football League rules state individuals cannot be a director or hold a majority interest in a club if they are banned from another sport's governing body.

"The board conducted a comprehensive review of the situation, including the receipt of advice from leading counsel," said a Football League statement.

"After considering all the information presently available to it and in the interest of due process, the board will seek responses from Mr Briatore before commenting further."

Briatore, 59, left his post as Renault team principal, along with executive director of engineering Pat Symonds, after the team decided not to contest FIA charges of fixing the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

The charges were brought after Nelson Piquet Jr revealed he had been asked to crash in order to help team-mate Fernando Alonso.

At a recent World Motor Sport Council hearing, Briatore was banned with the FIA adding that it would not grant a licence to any team he was involved with or renew an F1 Superlicence granted to any driver associated with him.

Briatore is co-owner of QPR along with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal. He is also chairman of the holding company that owns the club and a director on the board of the Championship side. The club's main sponsor is Bahrain's national carrier Gulf Air.

QPR play in the Championship, the second tier of English football, and currently lie in mid-table.







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