Renault, Piquet Jr., Symonds and Briatore
Piquet's Crash Could End Renault's F1 Participation
Sep 15, 2009
On September 21st 2009, the WMS (World Motorsport Council) will decide if allegations made by Nelson Piquet Jr. have any merit. The allegations surround the 2008 Singapore F1 race when Piquet inexplicably hit the pit wall. The resultant crash brought out the safety car at a time that was most advantageous to Piquet’s team mate, Fernando Alonso.
Blatantly Helped Alonso
Many F1 insiders were suspicious about the incident at the time because it so blatantly helped Alonso, who went on to win the race. However, few considered at the time that a prestigious team such as Renault would stoop so low and, what is more important, endanger lives.
With no points scored in 2009, Piquet was released from the team in August. Soon after, he went public with claims that Pat Symond’s (the Renault team director of engineering) and Flavio Briatore (team principle) had asked him to crash at precisely the spot he eventually did crash at – a claim fervently denied by both.
Contravention of Sporting Code
The FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) became involved as they have governance over F1 and such allegations and actions were in contravention of the sporting code (article 151c) and in so doing brought F1 into disrepute. Subsequently, the FIA released a transcript of an interview with Pat Symonds in which he admits a meeting took place where the possibility of Piquet crashing was brought up (allegedly by Piquet himself), but he refused to say any more (presumably to avoid incriminating himself).
Granted Amnesty
Following on from an FIA assurance to Piquet that he would be granted amnesty in return for full disclosure; the FIA reportedly offered Symonds a similar deal. Although it is common practice within law to offer amnesty in return for information leading to the arrest and conviction of criminals, if the FIA allows Symonds and Piquet back into F1 (assuming Renault no longer take part, and further assuming another team would want to employ them) they – the FIA – would have allowed a driver who deliberately crashed and a director of engineering who had OK’d it, to return to the top level of motorsport!
Total Exclussion
In 2007 McLaren were fined $100 million for using technology known to belong to their main rivals, Ferrari. At the time this was the biggest fine ever levied in any sport. If the allegations against Renault are found to be true in court, the FIA will have no option but to come down on them even harder and that can only be total exclusion from the FIA Formula One World Championships.
(Interestingly, it is rumored that BMW may be allowed to enter the world championships in 2010, even though they missed a deadline for their entry – could the FIA already be thinking that a team will be missing from the entry list?).
Up-Date, ING Renault Will Not Dispute Allegations (September 16th 2009)
According to the ING Renault F1 web site, the team will not dispute the allegations. They issued the following statement:
'The ING Renault F1 Team will not dispute the recent allegations made by the FIA concerning the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
It also wishes to state that its managing director, Flavio Briatore and its executive director of engineering, Pat Symonds, have left the team.
Before attending the hearing before the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on 21 September 2009, the team will not make any further comment.'
Suite 101 will update this story as further news becomes available
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