Renault & Flavio Briatore

古惑強

睇黎畢奇仔真係不怕兩敗俱傷、玉石俱焚黎踼爆 Flavio，威龍大擰樂！

The allegations involving the actions of the Renault team at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix have been given added fuel today with a posting on a website of what it claims is a copy of Nelson Piquet Junior’s statement to the FIA’s World Motorsport Council (WMSC) given on July 30 in Paris.

After losing his seat with the team, after the Hungarian Grand Prix, Piquet claimed that he had been asked to crash deliberately in order to help team mate Fernando Alonso win the race. A claim that, if found to be true, breaches the sports regulations.

In the statement Piquet plants the blame firmly at the feet of managing director, Flavio Briatore, and director of engineering, Pat Symonds, giving his version of a meeting which took place before the race in Singapore. He goes on to claim that Briatore even pointed the turn where Piquet should crash, as it was thought that it was most likely that doing so at this turn would require the safety car to be deployed.

Although Piquet does not deny he caused the crash deliberately, he claims in the statement he was under pressure to keep his race seat with the team for 2009.
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Briatore and Symonds have also given statements to the FIA, and although they do not deny the meeting took place, they put the blame on Piquet. Piquet has said he told a family friend and advisor about the background to the incident immediately after the race.

Bernie Ecclestone has warned both Piquet and Renault that, if found guilty, there could be serious consequences for both parties. The inquiry is being carried out by F1 officials, believed to include the steward’s advisor Alan Donnelly, and external investigators from the agency Quest.

While Piquet has been very vocal on this matter, the Renault team have declined to comment until the WMSC hearing set to take place in Paris on September 21.

古惑強

Wah, even more shit to surface!

The accusation that Renault instructed Nelson Piquet to crash on purpose at last year's Singapore Grand Prix did originate from the now-ousted Brazilian driver, it is claimed.

Reports in British newspapers including the Mirror and the Times claim Piquet informed the FIA that he agreed to the race-fixing.

The crash was reportedly discussed in a pre-race meeting with Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds - but not Fernando Alonso - and agreed by Piquet because he thought it might result in a new contract for 2009.

FIA investigators were also informed by Piquet that Symonds, Renault's veteran engineering director, told the 23-year-old driver specifically that the crash should occur on lap 13 or 14 to activate Alonso's race strategy.

Turn 17 was selected as the crash site reportedly because the lack of nearby cranes would mean removal of the damaged car would be difficult and deployment of the safety car therefore more likely.

Documents lodged in reply to the accusations by Briatore and Symonds confirm the pre-race meeting but Symonds insists it was Piquet who suggested the crash be staged during the "conversation".

The Times newspaper said Briatore, who in his submission reportedly completely denies the charges, is likening the situation - with Piquet's father believed to have been the first to contact Max Mosley with the claims in late July - to "extortion".

It is also reported that, a few days after his last race for Renault in Hungary, Piquet Jr travelled to Paris to lodge the accusations in writing with the FIA.