A Renault F1 team meeting between Nelson Piquet, Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds just hours before last year's Singapore Grand Prix is central to the race-fixing allegations surrounding the team, accoridng to reports.
The sport's governing body is due to convene a World Motor Sport Council tomorrow to hear the allegations, which it has been confirmed were made by Piquet.
Autosport.com sources claim that in evidence submitted to the FIA by Piquet Jr, the Brazilian driver says he was asked by Briatore and Symonds to crash deliberately early in the race so as to help Alonso win.
Piquet says that he agreed to do so because he felt uncomfortable about his situation at the team, with Renault having not renewed his contract for 2009 at that time. Piquet suggests that he only went ahead and caused the accident because he felt he would be rewarded for his actions.
In his evidence, Piquet claims that he was taken aside by Symonds after the first meeting and instructured that he should crash on lap 13 or 14, shortly after Alonso's scheduled first stop, at Turn 17.
The reason this part of the track was singled out was because there were no cranes present there to lift the car away, so any accident would virtually guarantee a safety car.
Piquet's claims have, however, been denied by both Briatore and Symonds in documents that are believed to have been submitted with the FIA.
Although they confirm that the meeting between the three of them took place, both suggest that it was Piquet's own suggestion to cause an accident.
Renault has said it will not comment on the matter officially before the WMSC hearing later this month.
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Re: F1 race-fix details leak out
It will be interesting to see if, should Renault be found guilty, there will be any penalty at all, seeing as how they didn't get fined for having McLaren data when McLaren were fined £50m for having Ferrari data!
Re: F1 race-fix details leak out
Is that comedy a Piquetterie from Piquet Sr (*)?
(*) who was champion with non conformed fuel instead of Alain Prost (his 5th title)?
At this time, Renault was fair play and didn't attack Brabham BMW...
Re: F1 race-fix details leak out
Why are Renault allegedly saying that Piquet suggested causing a crash? Surely they would have been better denying that any such conversation took place? Does the FIA have more evidence? Because if Renault knew Piquet was thinking about doing this then why didn't they fire Piquet there and then and why didn't they inform the FIA imediatley after the race in the interests of fair play?
Also accoring to the Mirror Piquet asked what lap he was on a long time before being due to pit but at around the time of the crash. Somethings not right.....