Renault to attend spy saga appeal, not taking sides
Having said earlier today in Hungary that spying teams should be penalized, the Renault boss did not then defend Ferrari from McLaren's accusation that it won the Australian grand prix with an illegal F2007 car.
A statement issued by Ferrari at the Hungaroring said McLaren's accusation was "both serious and false".
McLaren claims Ferrari was only compelled to change its Melbourne-spec car after 'whistleblower' Nigel Stepney alerted the Woking based team to the F2007's allegedly illegal floor.
Briatore told a news conference on Friday: "I think the floor changed after the (Melbourne) race. Looked like it was not right in the first place."
The Italian chief, meanwhile, refused to be drawn on Renault racer Giancarlo Fisichella's claim in Hungary that he is "expecting" to be offered a new contract for 2008.
"Today I don't know," Briatore said.
"At this moment I am thinking and I believe I will decide in September around Monza time, I don't want to decide before."
08/03/07 (GMM) Flavio Briatore on Friday revealed that representatives for Renault attended the recent World Council hearing regarding the McLaren-Ferrari spy saga.
The French team's boss, who presided over championship triumphs versus McLaren in 2005 and Ferrari last year, also told reporters at the Hungaroring that Renault would again be at the upcoming appeal.
Briatore, who thinks the scandal is damaging the sport, said earlier this weekend that teams who break the rules should be punished.
"I want to know exactly what is going on," he said.
"I believe this story is damaging everybody a little bit, including me … stuff like this is not good for the sponsors or anybody."
The Italian's counterpart at Renault-powered Red Bull Racing, however, told the same news conference that his team would not attend the hearing at the Court of Appeal.
Christian Horner said: "The matter doesn't concern our team or any employees of our team and we trust in the governing body to make the right decisions."