Formula One faces its most serious day in the dock after Renault were last night charged with fixing the result of last season’s Singapore Grand Prix.
The tarnished sport’s governing body, the FIA, referred their investigation to the World Motor Sport Council, who are empowered to throw the French manufacturers out of the championship if they find them guilty at their hearing on September 21.
The FIA issued a statement saying: ‘Renault representatives have been called to answer charges, including a breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code (relating to bringing the sport into disrepute), that the team conspired with its driver, Nelson Piquet Jnr, to cause a deliberate crash with the aim of causing the deployment of the safety car to the advantage of its other driver, Fernando Alonso.’ Daily Mail
Initially, Alonso appeared somewhat fortuitous in taking the chequered flag as the double world champion had started from 15th on the grid at the sport’s latest addition to the calendar.
Intriguingly, Renault had opted to fuel Alonso short for his first stint, a bizarre tactic when starting so far down and on a typical street track where it is notoriously difficult to pass. Renault gambled on there being a safety car incident, and just two laps after Alonso made his first pit stop on lap 12, Piquet’s crash turned the race on its head.
The Brazilian’s moment into a wall also took place on a part of the circuit where there was no crane to hand, otherwise the field might slowly have filed past under waved yellow flags whilst it was recovered. But with the crane on track, it necessitated the safety car, resulting in the pitlane being immediately closed.
When it eventually re-opened, virtually the entire field dived into the pits, culminating in Alonso emerging in fifth place. The Press Association
There is no precedent for such an alleged offence. Renault could face anything from a fine to exclusion from either the next race or, at worst, the 2009 world championship. The fear in F1 circles is that this could cause Renault to pull out.
This will be the second visit by Renault to the FIA in as many months, the Anglo-French team successfully appealing against a one-race ban for the unsafe release of Alonso’s car before a front wheel was properly attached during a pit stop in Hungary. The wheel came off and bounced across the track a minute later. The Singapore incident was potentially just as serious since the debris could have affected other drivers or gone into the crowd. Guardian.co.uk
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