F1 Renaultgate

[wigit]

Spotted this on the BBC website

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.

It is not known if Renault must still face the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Monday to answer the charges

Renault had been called to answer charges that they "conspired 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."

Piquet crashed two laps after the Spaniard 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.

[trix]

well well well, i didn't like Briatore & thats sinking to an all time low!

S

[wigit]

well well well, i didn't like Briatore & thats sinking to an all time low!

S

i never liked him since he got heidi klum up the duff, b'stard

so $50M question is if it wasn't fixed would Lewis have been world champ or would massa?

[Deacon]

So, isn't that pretty much a hands up by Renault admitting cheating?

Deacon

[trix]

i never liked him since he got heidi klum up the duff, b'stard

Did you want that opportunity? [Hi Mrs Wigit to be ]

so $50M question is if it wasn't fixed would Lewis have been world champ or would massa?

hmm do we care? i'm concentrating my energies on Jenson managing it this year

[trix]

So, isn't that pretty much a hands up by Renault admitting cheating?

Deacon

yup blatantly admitting they're guilty

[Deacon]

So, isn't that pretty much a hands up by Renault admitting cheating?

Deacon

yup blatantly admitting they're guilty

So what's going to happen to them then, thrown out or will they just use this as an opportunity to withdraw from F1 anyway?

Deacon

[wigit]

well there are 26 spaces for next year which are all in theory taken, the last two spots were bagged by Lotus so the new owners of BMW are not guarenteed a slot at the moment

[trix]

someone (called recall which organisation) is pushing for 14 teams though.

[edit: FIA http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/9/9934.html ]

depends how much they want to try & save their reputation i guess or whether slipping away quietly would be better for them.

[Kev]

so $50M question is if it wasn't fixed would Lewis have been world champ or would massa?

Yeah. Just means Lewis won by an extra two points or so
Also, if Renault are disqualified from the result, Nico Rosberg would get his first win, as he was second to Alonso in that race.

[trix]

they wouldn't bother messing with that result now as that championship has gone & its so far through this season, the punishment will affect this season & next from what is indicated

S

[rehmondo]

If anyone wants the dossier supplied to the FIA president it can be found here in PDF form (4MBs)

Crashgate Dossier

After reading it I feel sorry for the kid Piquet Jnr, he did what he felt was loyal to Renault and not really thinking it could end his career.

Good news is that regardless of the outcomes or punishments; Hamilton finished ahead of Massa in that race therefore he won the championship cleanly - not that FIA would adjust the standings a season later but wouldn't put it past them if Ferrari would be at an advantage.

[haws]

Thanks for that, made an interesting read

[trix]

Well...
2 year suspended ban for Renault.
Flavio Briatore been banned from FIA sanctioned events for an unlimited period
Pat Symonds excluded from F1 for 5 years

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsp ... 266090.stm

[Kev]

Ouch.