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Nelson Piquet Jr, the driver at the centre of “Crashgate”, broke his silence yesterday over what he described as a nightmarish episode in his life that he bitterly regrets and hopes will never be repeated in Formula One.
The former Renault driver, who travelled to Paris for the FIA World Motor Sport Council hearing and was questioned by the 26-member court, made no comment on the punishments handed down in the case. But he said that he hoped that people could now see the true character of Flavio Briatore, the former managing director of the Renault Formula One team, whom he accused of driving him to the lowest point in his life.
The 24-year-old Brazilian, who crashed his car into the concrete wall of the Singapore street circuit in one of the most ignominious episodes of cheating in sporting history, is desperate to restart a career that threatens to be remembered only for that crash. He began by arguing that he had taken the right decision to bring to public attention what he did at the Singapore Grand Prix last year.
“I am relieved that the FIA investigation has been concluded,” he said.
“Those now running the Renault F1 team took the decision, as I did, that it is better that the truth be known and accept the consequences. The most positive thing to come from bringing this to the attention of the FIA is that nothing like it will ever happen again.”
Piquet went on to try to explain how he had come to accept that crashing a car deliberately was the right course of action and admitted that, looking back, he can hardly believe he did it.
“I bitterly regret my actions to follow the orders I was given,” he said in a reference to instructions from Briatore and Pat Symonds, the former Renault director of engineering. Times Online
“I don’t know how far my explanation will go to making people understand because for many being a racing driver is an amazing privilege, as it was for me.”
“All I can tell you is that my situation at Renault turned into a nightmare.”
“Having dreamed of being a Formula One driver and having worked so hard to get there, I found myself at the mercy of Mr Briatore.”
“His true character, which had previously only been known to those he had treated like this in the past, is now known.”
“Mr Briatore was my manager, as well as the team boss. He had my future in his hands, but he cared nothing for it.”
“By the time of the Singapore GP he had isolated me and driven me to the lowest point I had ever reached in my life.”
“Now that I am out of that situation I cannot believe that I agreed to the plan, but when it was put to me I felt I was in no position to refuse.”
“Listening now to Mr Briatore’s reaction to my crash and hearing the comments he has made to the press over the last two weeks it is clear to me I was simply being used by him then to be discarded and left to ridicule.” Daily Mail
Piquet, meanwhile, knows he has a long way to go for a comeback.
He said: “I have had to learn some very difficult lessons and reconsider what is valuable in life. What has not changed is my love for F1 and hunger to race again. I realise that I have to start my career from zero.”
“I would like to repeat that I am so sorry. I do not expect this to be forgiven or forgotten but at least people can draw their conclusions based upon what really happened.” Mirror.co.uk
“I can only hope that a team will recognise how badly I was stifled at Renault and give me an opportunity to show what I promised in my career in F3 and GP2,” he said.
“What can be assured is that there will be no driver in Formula One as determined as me to prove myself.” Yahoo! Eurosport
