Ecclestone had voted against the sanction of Flavio Briatore

Bernie Ecclestone had actively voted against the decision of the World Motor Sport Council to ban Flavio Briatore from any involvement in an FIA sport.

When the chief financial officer of Formula 1 arrived in Singapore from the Paris Council meeting, he had stated that, upon reflection, he thought the FIA’s sanction against his friend and business partner, Flavio Briatore, was too harsh. He had also previously stated that the Italian had not handled the affair in the best way and that he was indefensible.

« I was part of the commission so, I’m probably as guilty as anyone else. On reflection, it was not necessary, » the Briton had stated. This stance, thrown like a stone into the pond by the Formula 1 owner, has been interpreted as an absolution in relation to the cheating.

In an interview with the English daily, the Evening Standard, Max Mosley, the current president of the FIA, states that Bernie was one of the only members of the World Council to have voted against the sanction received by Flavio Briatore: « The council’s vote was not unanimous. The 26 members were not all present, there were 20 and there were proxies. A majority was in favor of Briatore’s sanction but Bernie was in the minority. »