Formula One's governing body was first told about Renault's race-fixing last year, according to the father of the driver at the centre of the scandal.
Nelson Piquet Sr has claimed that he first informed the FIA about the Singapore Grand Prix race fix claims at last year's season-ending race in Brazil - but was told that no action could be taken until his son made an official statement about the matter.
British newspaper The Daily Mirror published extracts of an interview that Piquet S. conducted with Martin Smith of investigators Quest on 17 August 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 is 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.
"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.
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?"
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.
The FIA World Council will meet on Monday to decide Renault's fate following the scandal.
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Re: F1 race-fix was revealed in 2008
I think the Piquets would do well to shut up at this point. They can only make things worse for themselves and their reputations by their repeated insights into the scandal. It is not as if Piquet the Younger comes out of this looking clean. He is at the heart of this whole sad set of events.
Re: F1 race-fix was revealed in 2008
What a saga. I will say though, that nelson should have followed those orders. He was putting himself, and other in needless risk. And what for? For his future career??