Briatore 'never discussed' Crashgate with Piquet.

      "I didn’t even hear from him while he was racing for me."

      Flavio Briatore has reaffirmed his innocence nearly 15 years after the notorious "crashgate" scandal in Formula 1. The 75-year-old expressed gratitude to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali for permitting his return to the paddock as an executive advisor for Alpine, following a lifetime ban in 2009 for instructing Nelson Piquet to deliberately crash during the 2008 Singapore GP. Felipe Massa, who narrowly lost the 2008 championship to Lewis Hamilton, is currently pursuing legal action, claiming that the intentional crash cost him crucial points that would have made him the champion.

      Briatore, however, now tells Corriere della Sera that he sees himself as the true victim of the crashgate conspiracy. When asked if he ever communicates with former Renault driver Piquet Jr., the Italian replied: "No, I don’t care. I didn’t even hear from him when he was driving for me."

      Piquet Jr., now 39, brought the crashgate incident to light by alleging that Briatore and Pat Symonds asked him to crash intentionally to trigger a safety car that allowed Fernando Alonso to win the Singapore GP. Briatore asserts, "He and I never spoke," and noted that a French court annulled the FIA's ban against him and ordered a symbolic refund. "Interestingly, the president who banned me, (Max) Mosley, is the same one who also banned (Michael) Schumacher."

      Briatore claims he was content to leave F1 after the scandal. "When I left, I was tired," he stated. "I had achieved everything, discovered great drivers, and it no longer felt like a passion but just a job, just like any other. Plus, my son Falco was about to arrive, and I wanted to be near my wife."

      Regarding those who argue he should still be barred from Formula 1, Briatore responded, "I’m like a rubber wall. I always believe that those who criticize me are worse off than I am. Money provides significant freedom, and not everyone has it."