Hoop Dreams - QPR FC

Last week's decision by a French court to overturn Flavio Briatore's lifetime ban from Formula One looked to have drawn a neat line under a particularly chaotic period for the QPR chairman.

Nothing, of course, is ever that simple for Briatore and now, as an extension, for his football team and the consequences of his involvement in an alleged race-fixing scandal could reverberate for some time.

Within a day of Flavio's ban being overturned, QPR were quick to assert that he would now pass the tests by the Football League which assess ownership of football clubs:(http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23791661-coca-cola-league-round-up.do).

“There are now no issues as he has been declared a fit and proper person in his own sport,” said a QPR spokesperson.

At the same time though, the Guardian reported (http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/jan/06/fia-flavio-briatore-crashgate), that the Football League are still waiting to make any decision regarding Briatore until they receive "formal clarification of the court's decision". That is because they are aware that the FIA, Formula One's governing body, are more than likely to appeal that decision and will still attempt to enforce Briatore's ban.

A FIA lawyer said that the court's decision wouldn't stand until all appeal options had been exhausted and also pointed out that the court had not considered the FIA's initial judgement, merely the legal procedures employed.

As The Guardian also reportedthe FIA could consider a whole new disciplinary process and a full review of the race-fixing scandal to prevent Briatore from returning to Formula One.

Should they be successful, Briatore would still fail the Football League's 'Fit and Proper Persons' test because his ban from another sport would stand, though the League may now lack the will or impetus to enforce any footballing ban on him.

Whilst he will be confident of retaining his position as chairman of QPR and his place on the Board, Briatore won't be able to turn his mind to footballing matters just yet. In a bid to further clear his name, he will not rule out taking action against Nelson Piquet Jr.

Piquet Jr was the driver who deliberately crashed his car at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix and who testified to the FIA under immunity that this was the result of team instructions from Briatore.

When asked if he would sue Piquet Jr, Briatore said in last Wednesday's Gazzetta dello Sport:

"Very probably.

"I won't forget the pain I've suffered in a day."

He will also consider suing two other drivers who he managed, Heikki Kovalainen and Lucas Di Grassi, who parted company with him following the FIA's decision.

What does this mean for QPR then?

Well, firstly, Briatore will definitely remain at the club for the foreseeable future and football could now provide a better avenue for his considerable sporting and financial ambitions over F1.

A QPR supporters' group, QPR 1st, welcomed him staying at the club if he could provide financial stability, http://www.qpr1st.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=276:if-mr-briatore-is-staying-around&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=4, whilst hoping that he would take further steps to clear his name and prevent QPR from being damaged by association.

It is indeed possible that he will bring stability to the QPR books, both through his and his partners' investments and through the commercial sponsorships he has brought to the club. But a wider stability for the club is now a distant dream for most QPR supporters.

In his willingness to bring legal action against former F1 employees and in his high turnover of QPR managers, he has shown a ruthless streak and desire to enhance his own reputation which means the football team will always risk being caught up in his own personal tribulations. Certainly don't expect him to fade into the background any time soon.