Renault admit race fixing, get two year suspended ban

Sep 21, 2009 Formula One

So after all the outcry following Nelson Piquet Jr’s allegations against Renault and then the sensational exits of Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds last week, the FIA dished out a two year suspended ban to the Renault team for ordering Piquet Jr. to crash in the Singapore Grand Prix last year. This move by Piquet allowed team mate Alonso, then running in 15th place, to win that race.

They were probably lucky not to be thrown out of the sport altogether, and the two high profile resignations – Briatore and Symonds, along with Piquet, as well as the fact that they owned up to the conspiracy had much to do with their being let off lightly.

Briatore was banned from the sport for an unlimited period while Symonds got a five year suspension.

F1 veterans are calling this “crash-gate” just the tip of the iceberg, and saying there are far murkier dealings in the glitzy and glamourous world of Formula One. Fingers crossed on how many more skeletons are set to tumble out of the closet !