Renault to desert ‘GPMA’ group
It would be a near killer-blow to the carmakers' group, who are threatening to set up a rival championship in 2008 if more money and better conditions are not given up by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
But with only BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Honda also in the GPMA camp, another defection could seal their fate and pave the way to inevitable signatures on a 2008-2012 Concorde extension.
Briatore, Renault's F1 principal and managing director, has echoed F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone's claim that the only viable future is with lower annual budgets.
''We need to remember,'' the Italian told 'Auto Motor und Sport', ''that it took many years to develop formula one, but it would only take one season to destroy it.''
Briatore said an annual budget of about (US)$100m per team would be 'ideal' for 2008.
''The job of the FIA would then be to stop us from going over,'' he explained, adding that a budget cap would work in the same way that the taxman keeps an eye on the honesty of taxpayers.
Briatore, 56, slammed those in the paddock who always complain about not having enough money.
He said: ''Some people in this business have very short memories. I can think of many colleagues who were completely normal people, who now fly around in private jets.''
Flavio thus squarely aligned himself with Ecclestone, F1's commercial rights holder and chief executive, and controversial FIA president Max Mosley.
''Only those two can see the big picture,'' he claimed.