The timing could not be more delicious. As the “Crashgate” affair continues to smoulder with revelations about a mysterious “Witness X”, the Formula One circus has arrived back at the scene of the sport’s most notorious cheating incident.
It was in Singapore 12 months ago that Nelson Piquet Jr followed orders from Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds, the Renault team’s managing director and director of engineering respectively, to crash his car. As teams and drivers flew in for the renewal of a grand prix that is meant to be famous for being Formula One’s only night race, there was intense speculation over the identity of the member of the Renault team who blew the whistle on Briatore, who has been banned from all FIA-sanctioned motor sport.
It emerged late on Tuesday, when the FIA published details of its hearing into the scandal in Paris on Monday, that an unnamed member of the Renault team, referred to only as Witness X, had come forward during the company’s investigation to say that he had attended a meeting, at which Briatore was present, to discuss a deliberate crash.
While the identity of this person is known only to Max Mosley, the president of the FIA, and his legal officials plus Briatore and Symonds, the paddock has been left to speculate. The FIA has said that Fernando Alonso, Piquet’s team-mate who won the race last year, knew nothing of the conspiracy, so the focus has shifted elsewhere within the team.
While the intrigue continued, there was support for Piquet from Lewis Hamilton, the world champion, who became the first driver on the grid to suggest that the Brazilian could come back from this scandal and race again in Formula One. Piquet has apologised for his role in Crashgate and has made clear that he is desperate for another chance. Times Online
“He’s a good driver and he’s had a great career, so who knows?” said the Briton.
“For sure, there are opportunities for him in the future and I can only wish him the best.”
Hamilton has had his own share of bad publicity, but he added that he could not understand how Piquet was feeling right now.
“Not really because I’ve never gone through what he’s going through,” he said.
“But he’s still very young, he’s experienced and he’ll take it in his stride.” AFP
| 
|