For the 700 plus employees of the Renault F1 team, today’s (September 21st. 2009) verdict and sentence will come as a relief. Many people within motorsport anticipated the WMSC would immediately ban Renault. However, the WMSC took into account Renault’s actions once the allegations came to light.
Renault conducted its own internal investigation and offered to cooperate fully with the official FIA investigation. These actions allowed the WMSC to be more lenient on the team. In addition, team principle Flavio Briatore and technical director Pat Symonds were dismissed from the team.
Lifetime Ban
According to the official FIA web site, Briatore has also received an unlimited ban from any FIA-sanctioned event. This ban will also forbid any FIA sanctioned event organizers from allowing Briatore attending their event. More interestingly, and sure to lead to further legal moves, is a restriction on any driver’s super license (required for F1 events) associated with Briatore or his driver management company.
Former technical director, Pat Symonds, was dealt with more leniently as the WMSC felt that he had cooperated more with their investigations. Symonds received a two-year ban from any FIA sanctioned events.
Deliberately Crashed
The legal proceedings, and the subsequent rulings, stemmed from an incident at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix where Nelson Piquet Jr. admitted that he deliberately crashed his F1 Renault at a prearranged point on the track during the race.
Having been released from his driving contract with the ING Renault F1 team, after a series of poor results, Piquet went to the FIA and made a statement admitting his part in the incident. He claimed that Symonds and Briatore conspired with him to deliberately crash his car at a prearranged place and on a specific lap to give his team mate (Fernando Alonso) a chance of victory. Alonso did win the race after benefitting from a safety car period brought about by the Piquet incident.
Immunity for Piquet
No action was taken against Piquet as he had been offered immunity in return for his sworn testimony. However, his career in F1 was not likely to continue beyond 2009 and it remains to be seen if any team will want to be associated with a driver who deliberately crashed a car!
Although Alonso was asked to attend the WMSC hearing, he was not under suspicion and had declared all along that he knew nothing of the arrangement Piquet had made.
With the Formula One race due to return to the Singapore track on the 25th of September, the teams will be looking for a less eventful weekend than their last visit. No doubt all eyes will be on the Renault team.
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