The Renault F1 team has announced that managing director Flavio Briatore and engineering director Pat Symonds have parted company with the team and that it will “not dispute” the allegations of race-fixing when it appears before the World Motor Sport Council on September 21.
The team had been accused of asking racing driver Nelson Piquet Jr to crash deliberately during last year’s Singapore Grand Prix in order to cause a safety car period that would work to his team-mate Fernando Alonso’s advantage. The Spaniard went on to win the race.
Renault were due to appear before the World Motor Sport Council next week to discuss what penalties should be imposed on the team as a result of the crash.
In the press statement, the team said:
“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.”
This surprising turn of events has left question marks about the future involvement of the manufacturer. With Briatore and Symonds out, will the team even take part in the remaining four races of this season or quit with immediate effect?
The CEO and president of Renault Carlos Ghosn had earlier told L’Equipe that the parent company would not react “in hot blood” to the allegations that were made against the Formula One team. “Above all we don’t want to make a premature judgment one way or the other,” he said.
The FIA had charged Renault with “conspiring with its driver, Nelson Piquet Jr, to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix with the aim of causing the deployment of the safety car to the advantage of its other driver, Fernando Alonso.”
Following the crash, which took place on a part of the circuit where no cranes were available to lift Piquet’s car over the barriers, the safety car was deployed. Alonso was the only driver to have pitted before the incident, and consequently he emerged in the lead after the rest of the field refuelled after the safety car came out.
Alonso went on to take the chequered flag at Formula One’s first night race – his first after rejoining the team following a season with McLaren in 2007 – and at a time when Renault were considering quitting the sport because of the huge expense involved at a time when domestic car markets were struggling.
Flavio Briatore has left his position as boss of the Renault team after they decided not to contest charges of fixing the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
Executive director of engineering Pat Symonds has also left the team.
Renault were summoned by governing body, the FIA, after Nelson Piquet Jr claimed he had been asked to crash to help team-mate Fernando Alonso’s race.
An FIA spokesperson confirmed a World Motor Sport Council hearing in Paris on Monday would go ahead.
Renault have been called to answer charges that they “conspired with Nelson Piquet Jr to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix with the aim of causing the deployment of the safety car to the advantage of its other driver, Fernando Alonso”.
The hearing will attempt to attribute responsibility for the Singapore “crash-gate” despite the news that Briatore and Symonds have left Renault.
The FIA could still impose sanctions if Renault are found guilty, including excluding the team from the championship, although that must be considered unlikely given the two people Piquet said were responsible have now left the team.
Piquet crashed in Singapore two laps after Alonso had come in for a routine pit stop.
That meant that when race officials sent out the safety car to clear up the debris from Piquet’s car, Alonso was alone among the front-runners in not having to stop for fuel and tyres.
Renault’s double world champion went on to take the chequered flag at Formula 1’s inaugural night race and claim his first victory in two years.
At the time, Piquet attributed the crash to a simple error, but after being dropped by the team after July’s Hungary GP the race-fixing allegations emerged.
The Brazilian has since testified to the FIA that he was instructed by Briatore and Symonds when and where to crash.
Renault’s response was to accuse the 24-year-old and his father Nelson Piquet of false allegations and blackmail, going as far as saying they would begin legal action against them.
But on Wednesday the team said in a statement they would “not dispute the recent allegations made by the FIA concerning the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.”
The statement added: “The team also wishes to state that its managing director, Flavio Briatore and its executive director of engineering, Pat Symonds, have left the team.”
BBC pundit and former team boss Eddie Jordan said he was surprised by Renault’s announcement but believes it was effectively an admission of guilt.
“By suggesting they are not going to contest the allegations is in itself an admission,” Jordan told the BBC.
“I don’t know what goes on in teams and certainly in the Jordan team you would contemplate all sorts of things but you certainly couldn’t contemplate that.”
It remains to be seen whether this latest controversy, and the departure of Briatore and Symonds, will affect Renault’s decision to stay in Formula 1.
Briatore had denied speculation that the French team’s future was under threat and the team have signed a new Concorde Agreement to stay in F1 until 2012.
But this latest controversy, coupled with a decline in cars sales, could yet have repercussions for the staff of around 700, who are are employed at the team’s headquarters in Enstone, in Oxfordshire, and Viry-Chatillon in Paris.
Former grand prix winner John Watson told the BBC: “The fact that Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds have left the team was the only solution to Renault.
“A company on the scale of Renault, a world-scale motor company could not afford to have a scandal of this magnitude rattling around in the boardroom.”
As it is, Renault’s statement draws the curtain on two of F1’s best-known protagonists.
Briatore became Benetton team principal in 1991 and when Renault bought Benetton in 2000 to run under its own moniker, the 59-year-old Italian was chosen to lead the team.
Symonds joined the Toleman team, which morphed into Benetton and Renault, in the 1980s and worked his way though the ranks becoming executive director of engineering in 2001.
Briatore was also heavily involved in the teams’ association Fota, as it sought to reach an agreement on the future of the sport with the FIA this season.
Source: BBC Sport
BBC Formula One journalist Andrew Benson’s blog on Flavio Briatore. Quite an interesting read.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2009/09/briatore_bows_out_in_unsavoury.html
F1 Fanatic’s view on this news story. Check out the article here:
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2009/09/16/flavio-briatore-and-pat-symonds-stand-down-as-renault-accepts-singapore-crash-charge/
Former world champion Niki Lauda has said that the FIA must still punish Renault hard for its involvement in fixing last year’s Singapore Grand Prix if Formula 1 is to restore its credibility.
In the wake of Renault admitting that it will not contest charges that it deliberately caused a crash in Singapore last year to help Fernando Alonso win, Lauda has called for tough sanctions.
This comes despite the two men at the centre of the case – Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds – having left the team ahead of next Monday’s World Motor Sport Council hearing into the matter.
The hearing will still go ahead and it is likely Renault will be represented by a lawyer, who will ask for clemency because the evidence suggests only a few people knew about the alleged race-fixing plot.
But Lauda thinks that even though so few knew about the offence, he thinks for the sake of the sport the team must be punished.
He suggests this matter is more serious than either Michael Schumacher deliberately parking his car in Monaco 2006, or the McLaren spy case in 2007.
“When I first heard the accusation that Renault had asked Nelson Piquet to crash deliberately, the question was whether it was true or not,” Lauda told the Daily Mail.
“If it was true, then it amounted to the worst thing that has happened in Formula 1.
“There is only one other incident that comes near – Michael Schumacher parking his Ferrari on the racing line at Monaco in 2006 to block Fernando Alonso’s last qualifying lap.
“But, really, even that is not comparable.”
He added: “Yes, the McLaren spying scandal two years ago was extremely serious but mechanics have always discussed technical data among themselves.
“This, though, is new. The biggest damage ever. Now the FIA must punish Renault heavily to restore credibility in the sport.”
Lauda has also expressed disappointment about the stance adopted by Briatore over the weekend – the Italian claiming innocence and stirring up matters relating to Piquet’s private life.
“What also really upset me at the weekend was what Flavio Briatore was saying. He denied it all,” he said.
“His messages were murky, even making comments about Piquet’s private life. It was unbelievable. And now, because Briatore has been sacked, we must assume the allegations against Renault were all true.”
Source: Autosport.com
F1 Fanatic has posted an interesting article on why Fernando Alonso should renounce his Singapore Grand Prix ‘win’ over ‘crash-gate’. See the link for details:
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2009/09/17/fernando-alonso-should-renounce-his-singapore-grand-prix-win/
Flavio Briatore says he left the Renault team in order to save the French squad, ahead of the decisive FIA meeting to face allegations of race-fixing.
The flamboyant Italian, together with director of engineering Pat Symonds, yesterday left the team he had led since Renault returned to Formula 1 in 2000.
The French outfit said in a statement it would not dispute the allegations of fixing the result of last year’s Singapore Grand Prix.
Briatore said he felt it was his duty to quit Renault, hoping the FIA will take a more lenient view.
“I was just trying to save the team. It’s my duty. That’s the reason I’ve finished,” Briatore was quoted as saying by British newspapers.
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said it was a shame Briatore, who led Renault to two constructors’ titles, had to end his F1 career like that.
“It is a pity that Flavio has ended his Formula 1 career in this way,” Ecclestone the Daily Mirror. “You can’t defend him at all. What he did was completely unnecessary. It’s a pity that its happened.”
Ecclestone added: “He told me recently that he didn’t want to finish up like me, playing with racing cars at my age. So at least he’s been saved that embarrassment.
“It (the sport) has recovered from so many things when people have said it was finished and it will recover from this. It was supposed to be finished when Ayrton Senna died. It was supposed to be finished when Michael Schumacher retired.
“People say its been a torrid year but it always is in F1. There’s always something going on. It’s never peaceful.”
Renault chief operating officer Patrick Pelata says someone needed to pay for the French squad’s actions at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
“I don’t know all the details but there was a fault and a fault requires a sanction,” Pelata told French radio RTL after team boss Flavio Briatore and director of engineering Pat Symonds left the team on Wednesday.
“Piquet had already left and Pat Symonds is gone. Briatore considered he was morally responsible and has resigned.”
Pelata added: “We will know more about the details after what will happen next Monday, with the FIA. At the moment, we have assumptions but it is clear that basically there was a fault.”
Renault announced yesterday that it will not dispute the race-fixing allegations when it faces the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council next Monday.
Pelata admitted the row had been a blow for the French company, but suggested the actions of Briatore and Symonds should not affect the rest of the team.
“Yes, we don’t like this, but do we not want the fault of two people to reflect upon the work of a company and the entire Formula 1 team,” Pelata added.
He said it was not the time to think about Renault’s future involvement in Formula 1.
“It costs us less than that, but this is not the debate today,” he said when asked if it would be a relief for Renault to be saving 350 million euro on its F1 programme.
“It is probably not the case at the moment.”
And Pelata denied the French car maker had already lined up former world champion Alain Prost to replace Briatore.
“No. It’s too early to discuss these questions.”
Source: Autosport.com
Autosport.com has provided a detailed analysis on how the Renault case came to light. Quite a good read:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78682
Nelson Piquet Sr. has revealed that he first informed the FIA about the Singapore Grand Prix race fix claims at last year’s race in Brazil – but no action could be taken until his son made an official statement about the matter.
As further details about the race-fixing case continue to emerge ahead of Monday’s FIA World Council hearing into the matter, Piquet claimed that he first brought the case to the attention of F1 race director Charlie Whiting at Interlagos in 2008.
British newspaper The Daily Mirror published extracts of an interview that Piquet Sr. conducted with Martin Smith of investigators Quest on August 17 this year where he talked about bringing the matter to light.
“When this thing happened in Singapore I couldn’t believe it. I’d done motor racing for all my life,” Piquet was quoted as saying.
“I couldn’t believe this thing. And after I called Nelson and Nelson said yes they asked me if I could help and this and that. I said ‘but you could have hurt yourself and if you didn’t hurt yourself you could have hurt somebody else’ and he said ‘yeah, I know it’s wrong’ but anyway.
“Anyway in Brazil I talk to Charlie.”
He added: “I got him and I said ‘look, what could happen to Nelson if I bring this up?’ And I was afraid to screw up the career of Nelson.”
Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera has also published different extracts of the interview, and it suggests that Whiting told Piquet the matter ‘could not be proved.”
When Piquet later told FIA president Max Mosley, he said the response was: “Charlie has already informed me but we can’t prove anything unless someone comes to tell me the facts.”
It was only when Piquet Jr. made a testimony to FIA officials in the week after this year’s Hungarian Grand Prix that action could officially begin from the governing body to investigate the matter.
The Piquets are having legal action taken against them by former Renault boss Flavio Briatore for blackmail – something Piquet Sr. is not too worried about.
Speaking to German magazine Auto Motor Und Sport, Piquet said: “Let him go ahead. I have the money to afford the best lawyers. And against what he wants to complain about? Against the truth?”
Source: Autosport.com
Renault has been handed a two-year suspended ban for its involvement in fixing the result of last year’s Singapore Grand Prix, with Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds receiving bans from motorsport.
Following a meeting of the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Monday, the governing body ruled that the team was guilty of an offence of “unparalleled severity” after causing a deliberate crash in last year’s Singapore event.
Although the FIA deemed that the offence was worthy of exclusion from the F1 world championship, it was decided to suspend the ban for two season because Renault admitted to its guilt – and took action against the men involved in the actions – former team principal Briatore and director of engineering Pat Symonds.
A statement from the FIA said that Renault “had accepted, at the earliest practicable opportunity, that it committed the offences with which it was charged and cooperated fully with the FIA’s investigation. It had confirmed that Mr. Briatore and Mr. Symonds were involved in the conspiracy and ensured that they left the team; It apologised unreservedly to the FIA and to the sport for the harm caused by its actions;
“It committed to paying the costs incurred by the FIA in its investigation; and Renault (the parent company, as opposed to Renault F1) committed to making a significant contribution to FIA safety-related projects.”
Explaining the decision to impose a two-year suspended ban, the FIA said: “The World Motor Sport Council considers Renault F1’s breaches relating to the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to be of unparalleled severity.
“Renault F1’s breaches not only compromised the integrity of the sport but also endangered the lives of spectators, officials, other competitors and Nelson Piquet Jr. himself. The World Motor Sport Council considers that offences of this severity merit permanent disqualification from the FIA Formula One World Championship.
“However, having regard to the points in mitigation mentioned above and in particular the steps taken by Renault F1 to identify and address the failings within its team and condemn the actions of the individuals involved, the WMSC has decided to suspend Renault F1’s disqualification until the end of the 2011 season. The World Motor Sport Council will only activate this disqualification if Renault F1 is found guilty of a comparable breach during that time.”
The FIA has also taken tough action against Briatore and Symonds. It has been decided that for an ‘unlimited period’ the FIA will not sanction any event, championship, cup, trophy, challenge or series involving Briatore in any capacity – or grant any licence to a team or entity that is engaged with Briatore.
The statement added: “It also hereby instructs all officials present at FIA-sanctioned events not to permit Mr. Briatore access to any areas under the FIA’s jurisdiction.”
Briatore will also not be allowed to manage any drivers in F1, with the FIA stating that it will not renew any Superlicence granted to a driver who is associated with Briatore. At the moment Briatore manages Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Heikki Kovalainen, Romain Grosjean in F1.
“In determining that such instructions should be applicable for an unlimited period, the World Motor Sport Council has had regard not only to the severity of the breach in which Mr. Briatore was complicit but also to his actions in continuing to deny his participation in the breach despite all the evidence.”
Symonds faces a similar ban for a period of five years – and will not be allowed at FIA-sanctioned events.
The statement added: “In determining that such instructions should be effective for a period of five years the World Motor Sport Council has had regard: (i) to Mr. Symonds’ acceptance that he took part in the conspiracy; and (ii) to his communication to the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council that it was to his “eternal regret and shame” that he participated in the conspiracy.”
Piquet himself apologised to the FIA for his involvement in the matter, and receives no punishment after being offered immunity in exchange for providing details about the matter.
The FIA also ruled that Alonso, who testified at the hearing, was not involved in the Renault race-fix matter.
Source: Autosport.com
The full verdict from the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council. Article taken from Autosport.com.
At an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council held in Paris on 21 September 2009, the ING Renault F1 team (“Renault F1”) admitted that the team had conspired with its driver Nelson Piquet Jr. to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, in breach of the International Sporting Code and F1 Sporting Regulations.
Renault F1 stated at the meeting that it had conducted a detailed internal investigation, which found that: (i) Flavio Briatore, Pat Symonds and Nelson Piquet Jr. had conspired to cause the crash; and (ii) no other team member was involved in the conspiracy.
The FIA has conducted its own detailed investigation and its findings correspond with those of Renault F1.
At the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council, Renault F1 made the following points in mitigation:
– it had accepted, at the earliest practicable opportunity, that it committed the offences with which it was charged and cooperated fully with the FIA’s investigation;
– it had confirmed that Mr. Briatore and Mr. Symonds were involved in the conspiracy and ensured that they left the team;
– it apologised unreservedly to the FIA and to the sport for the harm caused by its actions;
– it committed to paying the costs incurred by the FIA in its investigation; and
– Renault (the parent company, as opposed to Renault F1) committed to making a significant contribution to FIA safety-related projects.
Nelson Piquet Jr. also apologised unreservedly to the World Motor Sport Council for his part in the conspiracy.
The following decision was taken:
The World Motor Sport Council finds that Renault F1 team members Flavio Briatore, Pat Symonds and Nelson Piquet Jr. conspired to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. The World Motor Sport Council therefore finds Renault F1, which, under article 123 of the International Sporting Code, is responsible for the actions of its employees, in breach of Articles 151(c) and point 2(c) of Chapter IV of Appendix L of the Code, and Articles 3.2, 30.3 and/or 39.1 of the Formula One Sporting Regulations.
The World Motor Sport Council considers Renault F1’s breaches relating to the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to be of unparalleled severity. Renault F1’s breaches not only compromised the integrity of the sport but also endangered the lives of spectators, officials, other competitors and Nelson Piquet Jr. himself. The World Motor Sport Council considers that offences of this severity merit permanent disqualification from the FIA Formula One World Championship. However, having regard to the points in mitigation mentioned above and in particular the steps taken by Renault F1 to identify and address the failings within its team and condemn the actions of the individuals involved, the WMSC has decided to suspend Renault F1’s disqualification until the end of the 2011 season. The World Motor Sport Council will only activate this disqualification if Renault F1 is found guilty of a comparable breach during that time.
In addition the World Motor Sport Council notes Renault F1’s apology and agrees that the team should pay the costs of the investigation. It also accepts the offer of a significant contribution to the FIA’s safety work.
As regards Mr. Briatore, the World Motor Sport Council declares that, for an unlimited period, the FIA does not intend to sanction any International Event, Championship, Cup, Trophy, Challenge or Series involving Mr. Briatore in any capacity whatsoever, or grant any license to any Team or other entity engaging Mr. Briatore in any capacity whatsoever. It also hereby instructs all officials present at FIA-sanctioned events not to permit Mr. Briatore access to any areas under the FIA’s jurisdiction. Furthermore, it does not intend to renew any Superlicence granted to any driver who is associated (through a management contract or otherwise) with Mr. Briatore, or any entity or individual associated with Mr. Briatore. In determining that such instructions should be applicable for an unlimited period, the World Motor Sport Council has had regard not only to the severity of the breach in which Mr. Briatore was complicit but also to his actions in continuing to deny his participation in the breach despite all the evidence.
As regards Mr. Symonds, the World Motor Sport Council declares that, for a period of five years, the FIA does not intend to sanction any International Event, Championship, Cup, Trophy, Challenge or Series involving Mr. Symonds in any capacity whatsoever, or grant any license to any Team or other entity engaging Mr. Symonds in any capacity whatsoever. It hereby instructs, for a period of five years, all officials present at FIA-sanctioned events not to permit Mr. Symonds access to any areas under the FIA’s jurisdiction. In determining that such instructions should be effective for a period of five years the World Motor Sport Council has had regard: (i) to Mr. Symonds’ acceptance that he took part in the conspiracy; and (ii) to his communication to the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council that it was to his “eternal regret and shame” that he participated in the conspiracy.
As regards Mr. Piquet Jr., the World Motor Sport Council confirms the immunity from individual sanctions under the International Sporting Code in relation to this incident, which the FIA had granted to him in exchange for volunteering his evidence.
As regards Fernando Alonso, the World Motor Sport Council thanks him for cooperating with the FIA’s enquiries and for attending the meeting, and concludes that Mr. Alonso was not in any way involved in Renault F1’s breach of the regulations.
The World Motor Sport Council would like to thank the Stewards and legal investigation team (in particular Dorothy Cory-Wright of Sidley Austin LLP who conducted the interviews at the Belgian Grand Prix).
The full reasons for this decision, in addition to a complete recording of the proceedings before the World Motor Sport Council, will be made available shortly.
Renault has said it accepts the FIA’s decision to hand it a two-year suspended ban from Formula 1, after apologising unreservedly for fixing the result of last year’s Singapore Grand Prix.
The French car manufacturer informed the FIA last week that it would not contest the charges that Flavio Briatore, Pat Symonds and Nelson Piquet had conspired to cause a deliberate crash in Singapore last year to help Fernando Alonso win.
Renault F1 team president Bernard Rey spoke to the media outside the FIA’s Place de la Concorde headquarters shortly after Monday’s World Motor Sport Council hearing, expressing his regret at the events.
“We are very sad to find ourselves in front of the Word Motor Sport Council today,” he said. “By way of background, as a result of our own enquiries, we informed the FIA last week that we would not defend the charges and we accepted our responsibilities in relation to the incident in Singapore and we immediately took appropriate action inside the team.
“Today, we fully accept the decision of the Council. We apologize unreservedly to the F1 community in relation to this unacceptable behaviour. We sincerely hope that we can soon put this matter behind us and focus constructively on the future. We will issue further information in the next few days.”
Source: Autosport.com
Nelson Piquet has said he does not expect forgiveness for his involvement in the fixing of last year’s Singapore Grand Prix, as he admits he must now start his career from zero.
The Brazilian testified at the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council hearing into the Renault race-fix affair in Paris on Monday, but left the proceedings without commenting to the assembled press.
However, in a statement that was issued shortly after it was announced that Renault had been given a two-year suspended ban, Piquet said he has happy the matter had now been brought to an end.
“I am relieved that the FIA investigation has now been concluded,” explained the Brazilian. “Those now running the Renault F1 Team took the decision, as I did, that it is better that the truth be known and accept the consequences. The most positive thing to come from bringing this to the attention of the FIA is that nothing like it will ever happen again.
“I bitterly regret my actions to follow the orders I was given. I wish every day that I had not done it. I don’t know how far my explanation will go to making people understand because for many being a racing driver is an amazing privilege, as it was for me. All I can tell you is that my situation at Renault turned into a nightmare.
“Having dreamed of being a Formula 1 driver and having worked so hard to get there, I found myself at the mercy of Mr Briatore. His true character, which had previously only been known to those he had treated like this in the past, is now known.”
The nature of Piquet’s deteriorating relationship with Briatore only came to light when he issued a stinging attack on the former Renault team principal after he was dismissed from the team shortly after the Hungarian Grand Prix.
And Piquet said that his time working with Briatore had been a living nightmare, and the worst period of his life.
“Mr Briatore was my manager as well as the team boss, he had my future in his hands but he cared nothing for it. By the time of the Singapore GP he had isolated me and driven me to the lowest point I had ever reached in my life. Now that I am out of that situation I cannot believe that I agreed to the plan, but when it was put to me I felt that I was in no position to refuse.
“Listening now to Mr Briatore’s reaction to my crash and hearing the comments he has made to the press over the last two weeks it is clear to me that I was simply being used by him then to be discarded and left to ridicule.”
Although Piquet’s involvement in the affair makes it unlikely he will be able to make a return to F1, he has said he still has a strong desire to return to the top level.
“I have had to learn some very difficult lessons over the last 12 months and reconsider what is valuable in life,” he said. “What has not changed is my love for Formula 1 and hunger to race again. I realise that I have to start my career from zero.
“I can only hope that a team will recognise how badly I was stifled at Renault and give me an opportunity to show what I promised in my career in F3 and GP2. What can be assured is that there will be no driver in Formula 1 as determined as me to prove myself.
“As my final words on this matter, I would like to repeat that I am so sorry to those who work in Formula 1 (including the many good people at Renault) the fans and the governing body. I do not expect this to be forgiven or forgotten but at least now people can draw their conclusions based upon what really happened.”
Source: Autosport.com
As far as Renault is concerned, this is more or less the outcome I was expecting. Well , that or a total acquittal, due to “insufficient evidence” perhaps.
The real target for Mosely was Briatore . Despite supposedly concocting the scheme together with Symonds , Flavio got nobbled far harder than his accomplice. Symonds is just collateral damage. Indeed, had he accepted the FIA’s offer of immunity in exchange for being a “grass” , he would have got away scott free, an option that was not offered to Briatore.
Roll on October and bye bye Max Mosley.
You won’t be missed.
Former Formula 1 world champion Damon Hill has slammed the FIA’s decision to give Renault a suspended ban, labelling the penalty a “crying shame for the sport”.
The French outfit escaped a ban despite being found guilty of having fixed the result of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, something the governing body considered a breach of “unparalleled severity”.
“However, having regard to the points in mitigation mentioned above and in particular the steps taken by Renault F1 to identify and address the failings within its team and condemn the actions of the individuals involved, the WMSC has decided to suspend Renault F1’s disqualification until the end of the 2011 season,” the FIA said in its verdict on Monday.
Hill feels Renault’s penalty was too lenient, but he admitted he was expecting it to be so.
“I’m not surprised they’ve let Renault off,” Hill was quoted as saying by the Times newspaper.
“It’s a crying shame for the sport.”
He added: “You have to put this in the context of inconsistencies in the way in which the FIA has treated breaches of the regulations over the years and, knowing what we know, we cannot dissociate this from the power play going on behind the scenes for control of Formula 1.
“Formula 1 has to ask itself, is it just a very expensive form of entertainment or a proper sport? There is a whole book on what’s wrong with Formula 1. It’s called Bernie’s Game and the history of this episode is typical.”
FIA president Max Mosley said the penalty was fair, claiming it was the harshest the FIA can impose.
“I think it’s the right decision,” Mosley said. “I think the blame has been placed where the blame should be placed. The penalty that we’ve imposed is the harshest one we can impose, which is disqualification, complete exclusion from the sport.
“The penalty for Renault is disqualification but suspended for two years, so what that means is that provided they don’t do something silly in the next two years, they don’t have any problems.
“However, because Renault have demonstrated that they had absolutely no moral responsibility for what took place it would be wrong in the circumstances to impose an immediate penalty.”
Former Renault team boss Flavio Briatore, however, received the hardest hit after he was banned from F1 for life.
Mosley believes the FIA was left with no other choice.
“The penalty for Briatore is that he can no longer be associated with the team, he can no longer be associated with the series, he can no longer come to the paddock at any FIA championship event and he can no longer manage drivers in Formula 1,” said Mosley.
“It’s sad to see a career end like that, but what else could we do?”
Source: Autosport.com
Renault’s long-term future in Formula One remained uncertain last night despite their having escaped serious punishment over the race-fixing scandal that has blackened the team’s name. As an exercise in tying up loose ends before the F1 circus headed for the circuit that hosted the latest and most shocking in a string of controversies, yesterday’s ruling on the Singapore scandal provided as many questions as answers.
Some questioned the motives of the World Motor Sport Council’s decision to mete out heavy punishments to the men responsible for ordering Nelson Piquet Jr to crash last year on the Marina Bay circuit, but impose no financial penalty on the team that employed them.
Standing outside the FIA’s headquarters in Place de la Concorde, its outgoing president Max Mosley said that Renault would remain in Formula One and made it plain where he felt responsibility for the scandal lay, arguing that Renault had “demonstrated they had absolutely no moral responsibility for what took place”.
The WMSC accepted Renault’s explanation that it was the flamboyant former team principal Flavio Briatore and the former executive director of engineering Pat Symonds who orchestrated the plot to order Piquet to crash for the benefit of his team-mate Fernando Alonso, who went on to win. But despite Mosley’s unequivocal words Bernard Rey, the president of Renault F1, was less forthcoming. Rey was asked five times about the team’s future, which has been in doubt for some time, but refused to answer, saying only: “We apologise for such failure in front of the F1 community, and we hope we can put this behind us.”
In a statement the team added that it would “issue further information in the next few days”. Alonso, who was absolved of any blame, slipped away without commenting.
Renault’s admission of guilt, combined with its action in ensuring the departure of Briatore and Symonds and a series of contrite apologies, enabled it to escape with only a suspended sentence and no fine. It will pay costs and the parent group will make a “significant contribution” to the FIA’s safety programme, although it is understood that will involve supplying expertise rather than any kind of financial investment.
The lack of a heavy fine may help tip the balance in favour of Renault, which faced questions over its commitment long before the race fixing scandal came to light in July, remaining in the sport.
The former world champion Damon Hill, now president of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, said there were broader forces at work. “You can’t escape from the suspicion that it was all very expedient, given that Briatore was also one of the ringleaders of the pressure group FOTA,” he said. “No one can excuse what happened to Piquet, it’s totally abhorrent. That has been dealt with. [But] it’s not the whole story. The whole story is that there has been a power struggle for a very long time and it’s got to stop because it’s ruining the sport. It’s absolutely deplorable.”
In what may be his last hurrah before he is replaced next month as a result of the high-profile rebellion by leading teams earlier this year in which Briatore was a prime mover, Mosley insisted the long?term health of the sport would not be harmed by the scandal. “I don’t think it means anything. I think we now go on,” he said. “We have problems from time to time and as long as we solve them and deal with them properly that’s fine.”
The future plans of Briatore, who did not attend the hearing and is believed to be on holiday, are less clear. He was castigated in the judgment for not showing the level of contrition that enabled Symonds to escape with a five-year banishment, instead loudly protesting his innocence and accusing Piquet of being “spoilt”. It was the same strain of thinking that led to McLaren being fined $100m in 2007 and stripped of constructors’ points over the so-called “spygate” scandal, in large part because it refused to come clean and adopt a contrite pose.
Briatore has management contracts with Alonso as well as Red Bull’s Mark Webber, Renault’s Romain Grosjean, McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen and Piquet. But the FIA said yesterday that it would not renew the annual Superlicence of any driver that remained with him. His close involvement in GP2 will also come to an end, with Renault having to find someone new to run the Formula One breeding ground as well as appointing a new team principal, while he is even banned from any track holding an FIA-affiliated event.
Source: The Guardian
Renault has told the FIA that it will remain in Formula 1, despite the fall-out caused by the Singapore race-fix controversy.
Although there had been widespread suggestions that the matter, which has resulted in a two-year suspended ban from F1, could see the French car manufacturer exit the sport, it has emerged the team informed the governing body this week that it was keen to remain in the world championship.
In a statement it submitted to the FIA at Monday’s World Motor Sport Council hearing in Paris, Renault stated: “Renault F1 and its parent company have given serious consideration as to whether it should remain in the sport following the prejudice caused to its corporate image by the conspiracy, in addition to the existing background of financial pressures that have caused car manufacturers to withdraw.
“But it has concluded that it would like to remain in Formula 1 and continue to make an important contribution to the sport.”
Renault also promised to introduce a new team structure in light of the events of last year’s Singapore Grand Prix to ensure there can never be a repeat of what occurred. Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds – who both face bans from involvement in F1 – have also resigned from the team.
The Enstone-based outfit admitted to the conspiracy – and stated it could never have believed its staff would have acted in such a manner. Its statement came after internal investigations within the team revealed that there had been a conspiracy for Nelson Piquet to deliberately crash in last year’s Singapore event.
“Renault F1 had no reason to believe that the conspirators were capable of this kind of behaviour. Clearly the conspirators acted against the interests of Renault F1 and the sport generally,” said the statement.
“If they had applied their minds to their actions, they could not have thought that their actions benefited Renault F1. The acts of the conspirators were so outside what they were employed to do and so contrary to Renault F1’s interests, they ought not to be attributed to Renault F1. This is truly a case where the conspirators were on a frolic of their own.”
It added: “Renault F1 will introduce a new structure within the team and will review its internal procedures in an effort to ensure that this type of incident will never happen again.”
Source: Autosport.com
This is interesting… According to Autosport, an unidentified whistle-blower within the team was the key to the ‘crashgate’. Read on the full detail plus technical director Pat Symonds regrets his action.
An unidentified whistle-blower within the Renault Formula 1 team was key for providing the evidence that revealed there had been a conspiracy for Nelson Piquet to deliberately crash in last year’s Singapore Grand Prix.
Renault’s initial investigations that took place around the time of this year’s Belgian Grand Prix led it to believe that there were only minor pieces of evidence to suggest the matter was even worth investigating.
However, during interviews that took place with team members, an individual revealed the details of the case.
He stated that Piquet had approached Symonds after qualifying to suggest the idea of a deliberate crash, and that the idea had been worked upon once Symonds mentioned it to Briatore.
The World Motor Sport Council’s findings stated: “This version of events was put to Pat Symonds and Flavio Briatore. Mr Symonds did not deny the events. Mr Briatore consistently denied any involvement and did not recall the alleged discussion.”
Renault admitted to the FIA that in light of the whistle-blower’s evidence it made the decision not to dispute the charges and accept that there had been a conspiracy.
The findings of the WMSC hearing state: “The evidence (gathered by Renault F1 and the FIA) supports the assertion that the whistle-blower is one of the many people employed by Renault F1 (over 700 people) who had nothing to do with the conspiracy… the whistle-blower’s actions demonstrate that this conspiracy did not go to the heart of the team, but was restricted to the actions of 2 or 3 people.”
Renault stated that it would not identify the whistle-blower because it did not want the individual to “become the subject of press attention.”
The FIA requested, however, that it be able to interview the whistle-blower to gather evidence ahead of Monday’s hearing.
Interestingly, Piquet stated in a letter from his lawyers to the FIA that he did not propose the crash plan, and instead was first aware of it on Sunday morning when he was summoned to a meeting with Symonds and Briatore.
Renault’s former director of engineering Pat Symonds has said it will be to his ‘eternal regret’ that he ever took part in the race-fix plans at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix.
Symonds resigned from Renault last week when it became clear that he was involved in the conspiracy for a crash by Nelson Piquet to bring out a safety car in last year’s race to help Fernando Alonso win.
Although Symonds was not present at Monday’s FIA World Motor Sport Council hearing into the matter, which resulted in him being banned from international motorsport for five years, he did provide a written statement where he expressed his regret at going ahead with the scheme after it had been suggested by Piquet on Saturday night.
“The idea for this incident was entirely conceived by Nelson Piquet Jr. It was he who first approached me with the idea. At the time I naively believed that it was something he wanted to do for the good of the team,” stated Symonds.
“I was not aware of the position of his contract negotiations although with the benefit of hindsight I now consider that he believed that his actions would have a favourable effect on these negotiations.”
Symonds denied that Alonso’s starting strategy to stop after 14 laps was based on the race fix plans – and claimed that it was not that unusual because of the problems with the soft tyres.
He cited as evidence that fact that in Australia this year, Lewis Hamilton started from the back row of the grid with the softest tyre and stopped after only 11 laps.
However, he expressed deep remorse at pushing ahead with Piquet’s plans – which started off a chain of events that brought an end to his distinguished and successful career with Renault.
“In mitigation I would like to acknowledge my role in this incident. I was the one who, when the idea was first suggested to me by Nelson Piquet Jr., should have dismissed it immediately. It is to my eternal regret and shame that I did not do so.
“I can only say that I did it out of a misguided devotion to my team and not for any personal gain whatsoever. I consider the role I have played in bringing the team to where it is today to be my life’s work. I started the nucleus of the team 28 years ago with only 19 other people. Today it has grown to an organisation that directly employs over 500 people and supports innumerable local and international businesses.
“The last thing that I ever wanted to do was to jeopardise that team and the many people to whom I had an overwhelming responsibility.
“In a single action I have destroyed the high reputation I have built up during a 33 year career in motor sport. I am a competitive person who worked in a high pressure environment. This can, at times, cloud one’s judgement. I have always tried to be an honest person, a fact I hope you will give me credit for by witness of my statements to the stewards in Belgium.
“On that night in Singapore last year I made a mistake the consequences of which I could never have imagined at the time. For that mistake I can only offer all of you, and all those touched by the action I was involved in, my profound apology.”
This whole crashgate thing is, I dunno, strange. Yes it was a galatically stupid thing to do, but can anyone REALLY be as surprised as they make out? I mean we all know F1 teams will do ANYTHING to get better results. Look at all the banks of computers and whole groups of people just looking at one little thing! Ridiculous!
While I don’t share the same views as Eddie Irvine said in a recent interview ( he didn’t give a crap basically and bleated on about the £100m fine McLaren got for “spygate”…..well I agree with that part ), the area that F1 is in right now, I can believe anything that happens in F1.
Steal, arrange, concoct, set-up, manipulate, bend, lie, argue, walkout, defy, cheat and now crash like it or not, is all part of F1. Such is the desperation for money to fund and satisfy sponsors, this all where F1 is at. A strange analogy, but it’s the same with TV now. If a series doesn’t hit millions of viewers from the very start, it gets canceled. They want results every episode, every series. You fail, bye bye funding.
What I did think strange as this story broke was just how it broke. I mean it was nearly 12 months ago, and wham! All of a sudden we had this allegation. “Where the hell did it come from and how” was never mentioned till now. So now we know it was leaked and WOW! Jnr suggested it?!?!?! He should be banned from any sport just like Flav and Pat. This makes him absolutely NO BETTER than them. If I were the WMSC he’d be out forever. he’s a shit driver that should have never had a F1 seat and in my book wont have a seat in ANY damn car. Not even lawnmowers!
Now as for the “punishment”. Yeah so effing what Flav and Pat left. A suspended ban?!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF man. That completely sucks. This MUST have been due to the rumours of Renault leaving and IF it was taken into consideration, then yet again the world of F1 is taken to the bottomless pit of political depravity.
“Ooooh we must go easy on a team that crashes a car on purpose because they might leave, so we’ll give them a suspended ban and NOTHING else” and “if you do something as bad, it’ll be enforced”
But with McLaren.
“Woah! You have stolen design papers but have no sign of anything of the stolen parts etc on your car. Right, have a 100M fine”. What a load of croc!
Do anything on a similar scale! ( if true ) Yeah right, like anything like that will happen by the same frick’n team!
Sorry, but however bad you thought of the incident, the FIA didn’t like it, the WMSC behind closed doors didn’t like, the drivers didn’t like and most public didn’t like it. But nothing was actually done about it. Yes two people left. Big deal. Not to mention that Jnr the person that started it all!
Let me ask anyone this. When have you heard of any one or team getting a ban, suspended or not and have no fine to go with it? NEVER is the word your looking for. Come on, no point deductions? They get to keep the money for a false win?
Not having Pat will hurt more than not having Flav for sure. But, what has happen here is that if Renault keeps it’s nose clean the WMSC has in fact done absolutely nothing about this.
AND, let me say this also. I bet my house, my job ( actually you can have my job…it sucks lol! ) my full size slate bed US pool table even. Had this case gone forward with Flav and Pat not resigning, then your telling me that the WMSC would have just dished out the “ban” and told Pat and Flav to leave?! Maybe things would have been different, maybe there would have been a worse ( in fact just some ) punishment would have been dealt. Those two leaving of their own free will has done renault a massive favor.
Actually, now i think about it and how F1 works, nah. F & P were told to leave “as if of regret and free will” as a deal by the WMSC on the hush like so Renault can stay. Yeah IMO this is how it is. I’m telling you this is how it went down.
Ha Jnr’s role in this this reminds me of a Only Fools and Horses episode. Slater is a bad cop ( There is no good cop. ), suspects Del of nicking a microwave. He gives him immunity if he tells who actually stole the oven, and then he becomes Slater’s snitch boy. It all gets signed and then Del confesses. It was him who stole it!
Jnr gets immunity in exchange for “who’d done it?”
“It was me gov!”
“…….Oh s**t”
Wow, sorry about that, I went on a bit of long, long rant there. Well it was my 2 cents worth anyways!