The former Renault team boss, disgraced Flavio Briatore has today appeared in a French court for the start of a hearing against the FIA. Briatore wants his lifetime motorsport ban overturned and £900,000 in damages.

Briatore received his lifetime ban from motorsport due to his alleged involvement in the ‘crashgate‘ scandal, where Nelson Piquet Jr. was told to deliberately crash in order to let his teammate Fernando Alonso win at the Singapore Grand Prix 2008. Briatore still denies any involvement in what was dubbed by some as ‘The worst act of cheating in the history of sport’.

On the FIA’s decision to ban Briatore, he said that the FIA’s president at the time Max Mosley was;

“Blinded by an excessive desire for personal revenge”

- an argument stemming from Briatore’s disagreements previously with the FIA, where Briatore lead the group wanting to create a breakaway series following the rows over a budget cap.

Flavio Briatore has this week accused the FIA of holding a “sham hearing” in the lead up to his subsequent lifetime ban from Formula 1 after the “crashgate” episode, where he stood accused of conspiring to intentionally crashing Nelson Piquet Jr’s Renault in order for team mate Fernando Alonso to win the Singapore Grand Prix. Briatore is also looking to receive at least €1m in damages as he takes the FIA to a french court to overturn the decision.

Briatore has a hearing in Paris scheduled to start on the 24th November, where he hopes to quite publicly dirty the name of the FIA, whilst additionally clearing his in order to return to the sport. Briatore has recently released the details of his case into the public domain where he stated,

“The FIA neglects to mention that, according to declarations by one of its own vice-presidents to the media, the world council’s decision was rather the outcome of secret negotiations on the eve of the sham hearing,”

One of the key elements to Briatore’s case is a quote from FIA vice-president Mohamed Ben Sulayem, where he said to the Abu Dhabi National newspaper,

“We are not here to hang teams, we did our negotiations before and everybody is happy with the result.”

The FIA recently responded stating that they condemned the “selective leaking” of evidence from Briatore’s case by his lawyers, however Briatore was quick to deny such allegations stating that he has nothing to hide.

After the bombshell of Toyota pulling out yesterday, it seemed we were heading for a double-whammy with Renault calling an emergency meeting in Paris. However the result of that meeting sounds positive and it seems Renault will continue on the F1 grid in 2010.

The Enstone based team have had a tough 2 years, finishing 4th and 8th in the constructors championships, as well as the departure of Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds following the ‘Crashgate’ race fixing scandal involving Nelson Piquet Jr.

The team’s managing director Jean-François Caubet said:

“We have already contracted our drivers, had our budget approved and are enrolled in the world championship. Season 2010 has begun already. We will not be world champions in 2010, but we do have hopes to be much improved.”

Update 05/11/09 21:58GMT

Despite these quotes coming out of Renault, they are still not confirming they will or will not be on the grid next year and will make a decision by the end of the year.

Kimi Raikkonen & Fernando Alonso

After 3 years with Ferrari, Kimi Raikkonen is being replaced by Fernando Alonso. Raikkonen is yet to sign a deal with a new team for 2010, however he has been linked with a drive at McLaren and Toyota, the former being the most likely slot.

Raikkonen won the drivers world championship with the team in his debut year, as well as the constructers in 2007 and 2008.

There is also an outside chance the Raikkonen will leave the sport altogether. He has frequently mentioned when interviewed that if the right race seat doesn’t become available he will leave Formula 1 for good. We don’t think he’s bluffing…

Fernando Alonso also leaves his Renault team for the second time in his F1 career. With the team in disarray, Pat Symonds and Flavio Briatore also gone, it makes complete sense that Alonso would want to move away. That said, there are some whispers that the Ferrari deal has been in place since last year, however it couldn’t be made then for whatever reasons.

Giancarlo Fisichella

Giancarlo Fisichella started what appears to be his final season in Formula 1 with the Force India team. They made a decent start, with Fisichella taking the team’s first pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix. Unfortunately that couldn’t convert to a race win, with the KERS powered Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen doing early damage.

During that race weekend there were rumours flying around that Fisichella would soon be driving for Ferrari, in place of Luca Badoer, who in place was covering for the injured Felipe Massa. The teams and drivers played it down, however within days Fisichella was announced to have been released from his contract in order to drive for his dream team, Ferarri.

It wasn’t all roses for Fisichella though in the red car. He struggled from the outset, despite having done the milage in the Force India. Turns out the Ferrari isn’t all that easy to drive, and with testing not allowed Fisichella had to struggle through during practise and race conditions in order to familiarise himself. He is yet to get any higher than 9th.

Fisichella has signed a deal with Ferrari to be their test driver for 2010, however is still open to a race drive next season if the right deal should come about. We shall see.

Rubens Barrichello

A great year for Rubens Barrichello this year with the Brawn GP team. In early 2009 it seemed all was lost for the ex Honda team, however they were able to pull through. Barrichello’s team mate Jenson Button won 6 our of the first 7 Grand Prix in 2009, however Barrichello’s skills at the wheel were soon to become apparent as he more often than not had one over his team mate for the remainder of the season.

With 2 victories and 6 podiums, this was Barrichello’s most successful season since 2004 with Ferrari, however he has not seemed completely happy within the Brawn GP garage.

At this time it appears Barrichello will move over to Williams for 2010, alongside test driver Nico Hulkenburg.

BMW Sauber

Earlier this season BMW announced that they would be pulling out of Formula 1, leaving the ex Sauber team to find another buyer, or leave the sport altogether. With QADBAK stepping in to buy the team, the FIA granted the returning Lotus team the remaining slot for 2010, leaving Sauber with new owners, but not ability to race next season.

Drivers Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld will also leave the team, with Kubica signing up with Renault, and Heidfeld yet to secure a race seat with any team.

Those who could disappear

Jarno Trulli, Heikki Kovalainen and Kazuki Nakajima could all find themselves without race seats next year. Trulli has been rumoured to be looking at Lotus, as well as an outside chance of remaining at Toyota, however we think that is slim.

And of course, there is the chance Raikkonen could go too.

Lastly, those that have already gone

Ron Dennis (McLaren) – Left the team to concentrate on the McLaren road car. However, was seen as a peace gesture towards the FIA in order for them not to prosecute the team any further after they were found to have deliberately misled marshals in Australia.

Sébastien Bourdais (Toro Rosso) – Effectively sacked from the Toro Rosso team after not performing to expectations.

Nelson Piquet Jr (Renault) – Sacked again for not performing. However subsequently became chief witness in the Renault “crashgate” episode where he told the FIA that Pat Symonds and Flavio Briatore convinced him to deliberately crash his car in Singapore in order for Alonso to win. Piquet Jr escaped punishment in exchange for his evidence.

Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds – banned from the sport for the Renault “crashgate” episode

Flavio Briatore has confirmed that he will now sue the FIA over his lifetime ban from F1 which he received earlier this season. As you probably remember, Briatore was implicated as part of the Renault “Crashgate” episode where he was deemed to be one of the main culprits behind the plan for his driver Nelson Piquet Jr to crash his car during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

Briatore received a lifetime ban from the sport, this with Pat Symonds who received a 5 year ban, and Piquet Jr (you know, the guy that crashed the car) receiving immunity. Briatore said:

“The FIA has been used as a tool to exact vengeance on one man”

As such, he has now taken the FIA to the french courts in order to “resolve the matter justly and impartially”.

Nelson Piquet Senior has been talking to Gazzetta dello Sport regarding the recent crash scandal involving his son Nelson Piquet Junior, Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds and also about Piquet Jr’s possible drive at Toro Rosso.

“It was (Flavio) Briatore who wanted an extension (for 2009). I wanted Nelsinho to leave Renault and had found him a seat at Toro Rosso with Gerhard Berger. But Nelsinsho wanted to stay with Renault because there was the chance that Alonso would go to Ferrari.”

This may be all pie in the sky for all we know, but it makes sense. Yet again we saw a driver like Piquet Jr sidelined for the main event, this being Fernando Alonso. Throughout 2009 we’ve heard rumours of discontent from Piquet and Piquet Jr alike, Briatore threatening Piquet Jr with the sack, even before races. Not a nice working environment by all means.

Piquet goes on to describe his feelings on Briatore:

“He deserved it. Admittedly it wasn’t his idea, but to convince a young driver to do something like that is huge. He should stay far away from racing.”

Piquet also implicates Alonso in the crashgate scandal of last year, saying he was fully complicite with the plan:

“Do you think Alonso would conceive a race where he starts 15th and makes a pit stop almost straight away? It was a perfect plan.”

Piquet senior sounds like he’s been eating a few sour grapes recently – with Piquet Jr’s chances at landing another drive in F1 very very slim, his involvement too is slipping away.