Briatore punished too harshly - Ecclestone

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone said that he believes the lifetime ban from motorsport for Flavio Briatore is a too harsh punishment for the flamboyant Italian. The Briton however agrees with the punishment for Renault.

During a media evnet at Singapore, Ecclestone said: "If you look at it sensibly, the people at the top had not the slightest idea," said Ecclestone. "The people in the Renault F1 team had not the slightest idea.

"There were three people who knew what was going on and that is it. No one else was involved. Those people have been dealt with – in my view quite harshly in regards to Flavio. I don't think it was necessary, but I was on the commission so I am probably just as guilty as anyone else. On reflection it wasn't necessary. It was too much. Definitely too much."

Ecclestone added that he believes Briatore could have avoid the harsh penalty by showing up at the WMSC meeting and if he would have owned up to his involvement as Pat Symonds did.

"Firstly Briatore was invited to appear in front of the World Motor Sport Council and his lawyers wrote and said the FIA have no jurisdiction as far as he is concerned, which was probably right.

"But it was not the right thing to say. It would have been just as easy to go – to say: 'I was caught with my hand in the till, it seemed a good idea at the time, and I am sorry.'

"He has just handled the whole thing badly. He could have handled it in a completely different way, and they would have said, ‘you were a naughty boy' and that would have been the end of it."

As it was reported yesterday Flavio Briatore could take things a step further and take the matter to a civil court, but Ecclestone believes that this would not be the right way to go for the former Renault Team Principal.

"It would be stupid of Flavio to do that. He should ask to be heard by the court of appeal," Ecclestone added. "He should appeal to the FIA. If he goes to a civil court I don't think he would win. Because the FIA would have to defend and somebody will say that he sent a young guy out to what could have been to his death. So it wouldn't go down too well."