» Briatore rules out F1 return; threatens to sue FIA

Former Renault team principal Flavio Briatore has ruled out ever returning to F1 as a team boss, in spite of successfully having his lifetime ban overturned in the French appeals courts.

Briatore was originally slapped with a lifetime motorsports ban and banned from managing any racing drivers following his alleged involvement in the ‘Crashgate’ fiasco at the 2008 Singapore GP, but this sanction was overturned under appeal.

In spite of his victory, Flav will not return to F1 as a team boss.

"It was a great victory for me in the French court," the Italian told the Mirror. "I still feel bitter about what happened and for three or four months it was very, very difficult.

"I will never manage another team in Formula 1 in my life, this is sure, but I have got my dignity back which is important after 20 years in the sport.

"We had the report of the FIA and the report of the stewards and there was no evidence that I was involved in the accident. This is official. Done by FIA. Simple."

The Italian also said he would sue the FIA for the money he has lost by having to relinquish the drivers he managed: Fernando Alonso, Heikki Kovalainen and Mark Webber.

"We lost Alonso, we lost Kovalainen, we lost several drivers," he told the Telegraph. "We will sue the FIA for the money we lost."

And back to the courts we go!