Hamburg - Fernando Alonso must find himself a new manager as the ruling body FIA made absolutely sure on Monday that Flavio Briatore plays no more role in motorsport. Having established that Briatore and chief engineer Patrick Symonds conspired at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to help Alonso win the race through a crash from Nelson Piquet Jr for Renault, the FIA World Motor Sport Council banned him for "an unlimited time."
The 59-year-old Italian was a flamboyant and at times controversial figure in F1 over the past two decades.
A self-made millionaire, Briatore was the man behind two world champions in Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso.
His playboy image also made him an ideal subject for the gossip magazines, with top models Naomi Campbell and Heidi Klum said to be among his ex-girlfriends.
Outside the track he has had a number of diverse business interests, including co-ownership of English football club Queens Park Rangers which he is said to be forced to give up now as well in the wake of the FIA ruling.
Alonso, for his part, was cleared from any wrongdoing in the affair by the FIA, but faces the consequences as well as he (and other drivers) has to find a new manager once his current deal with Briatore expires.
The FIA had no mercy in its ruling, especially noting "the severity of the breach in which Mr Briatore was complicit but also to his actions in continuing to deny his participation in the breach despite all the evidence.
"The World Motor Sport Council declares that, for an unlimited period, the FIA does not intend to sanction any International Event, Championship, Cup, Trophy, Challenge or Series involving Mr Briatore in any capacity whatsoever, or grant any license to any Team or other entity engaging Mr. Briatore in any capacity whatsoever.
"It also hereby instructs all officials present at FIA-sanctioned events not to permit Mr Briatore access to any areas under the FIA's jurisdiction.
"Furthermore, it does not intend to renew any Superlicence granted to any driver who is associated (through a management contract or otherwise) with Mr Briatore, or any entity or individual associated with Mr Briatore," said the FIA.
Briatore and Symonds were told to leave Renault last week, and he has only made a brief statement since, seeing himself as the saviour of the team.
"I was just trying to save the team. It's my duty. That's the reason I have finished," Britain's Mirror newspaper quoted him as saying.
