Mercedes-Benz Forum banner

Renault handed a suspended ban

602 views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  jlomon 
#1 ·
Can someone explain to me how this isn't like Dean Wormer putting Delta House on "double secret probation"? It sounds like a non-punishment for the team.
Briatore got hit pretty hard - can't even manage drivers any more.

Renault handed suspended ban - Yahoo! Eurosport UK

Renault have been handed a two-year suspended ban from the Formula One world championship after admitting to race-fixing while Flavio Briatore has been banned from the sport.

FORMULA 1 2009 Italian GP Renault Fernando Alonso Foro: EFE - 0
The French car manufacturer, appearing before an FIA World Motor Sport Council hearing in Paris, had said it would not contest accusations the team ordered Brazilian Nelson Piquet Jr to crash his car into a wall at last year's Singapore Grand Prix so that Spanish team mate Fernando Alonso might win.

"The ING Renault F1 team admitted that the team had conspired with its driver Nelson Piquet Jr to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, in breach of the International Sporting Code and F1 Sporting Regulations'" the FIA statement read.

The suspended ban will last until the end of the 2011 season.

"The World Motor Sport Council considers Renault F1's breach relating to the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to be of unparalleled severity," the statement added.

"Renault F1's breaches not only compromised the integrity of the sport but also endangered the lives of spectators, officials, other competitors and Nelson Piquet Jr himself."

Former team boss Briatore was banned from any further involvement in Formula One, including driver management. The team's head of engineering Pat Symonds was banned for five years from FIA-run events.

Double world champion Fernando Alonso was exonerated of any involvement at the hearing.

"Mr Alonso was not in any way involved in Renault F1's breach of the regulations," the FIA said.

Piquet Jr had been granted immunity by the FIA before the hearing.

FIA president Max Mosley said after the hearing that the team would remain in Formula One, but Renault F1 chairman Bernard Rey did not comment.
Reuters
 
See less See more
#5 ·
They need Renault to stay in. If they left, there'd be only three manufacturers left.

Here's another write up:

At an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council held in Paris on 21 September 2009, the ING Renault F1 team ("Renault F1") admitted that the team had conspired with its driver Nelson Piquet Jr. to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, in breach of the International Sporting Code and F1 Sporting Regulations.

Flavio Briatore
Renault F1 stated at the meeting that it had conducted a detailed internal investigation, which found that: (i) Flavio Briatore, Pat Symonds and Nelson Piquet Jr. had conspired to cause the crash; and (ii) no other team member was involved in the conspiracy.

The FIA has conducted its own detailed investigation and its findings correspond with those of Renault F1.

At the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council, Renault F1 made the following points in mitigation:

- it had accepted, at the earliest practicable opportunity, that it committed the offences with which it was charged and cooperated fully with the FIA's investigation;
- it had confirmed that Mr. Briatore and Mr. Symonds were involved in the conspiracy and ensured that they left the team;
- it apologized unreservedly to the FIA and to the sport for the harm caused by its actions;
- it committed to paying the costs incurred by the FIA in its investigation; and
- Renault (the parent company, as opposed to Renault F1) committed to making a significant contribution to FIA safety-related projects.

Nelson Piquet Jr. also apologized unreservedly to the World Motor Sport Council for his part in the conspiracy.

The following decision was taken:

The World Motor Sport Council finds that Renault F1 team members Flavio Briatore, Pat Symonds and Nelson Piquet Jr. conspired to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. The World Motor Sport Council therefore finds Renault F1, which, under article 123 of the International Sporting Code, is responsible for the actions of its employees, in breach of Articles 151(c) and point 2(c) of Chapter IV of Appendix L of the Code, and Articles 3.2, 30.3 and/or 39.1 of the Formula One Sporting Regulations.

The World Motor Sport Council considers Renault F1's breaches relating to the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to be of unparalleled severity. Renault F1's breaches not only compromised the integrity of the sport but also endangered the lives of spectators, officials, other competitors and Nelson Piquet Jr. himself. The World Motor Sport Council considers that offences of this severity merit permanent disqualification from the FIA Formula One World Championship. However, having regard to the points in mitigation mentioned above and in particular the steps taken by Renault F1 to identify and address the failings within its team and condemn the actions of the individuals involved, the WMSC has decided to suspend Renault F1's disqualification until the end of the 2011 season. The World Motor Sport Council will only activate this disqualification if Renault F1 is found guilty of a comparable breach during that time.

In addition the World Motor Sport Council notes Renault F1's apology and agrees that the team should pay the costs of the investigation. It also accepts the offer of a significant contribution to the FIA's safety work.

As regards Mr. Briatore, the World Motor Sport Council declares that, for an unlimited period, the FIA does not intend to sanction any International Event, Championship, Cup, Trophy, Challenge or Series involving Mr. Briatore in any capacity whatsoever, or grant any license to any Team or other entity engaging Mr. Briatore in any capacity whatsoever. It also hereby instructs all officials present at FIA-sanctioned events not to permit Mr. Briatore access to any areas under the FIA's jurisdiction. Furthermore, it does not intend to renew any Superlicense granted to any driver who is associated (through a management contract or otherwise) with Mr. Briatore, or any entity or individual associated with Mr. Briatore. In determining that such instructions should be applicable for an unlimited period, the World Motor Sport Council has had regard not only to the severity of the breach in which Mr. Briatore was complicit but also to his actions in continuing to deny his participation in the breach despite all the evidence.

As regards Mr. Symonds, the World Motor Sport Council declares that, for a period of five years, the FIA does not intend to sanction any International Event, Championship, Cup, Trophy, Challenge or Series involving Mr. Symonds in any capacity whatsoever, or grant any license to any Team or other entity engaging Mr. Symonds in any capacity whatsoever. It hereby instructs, for a period of five years, all officials present at FIA-sanctioned events not to permit Mr. Symonds access to any areas under the FIA's jurisdiction. In determining that such instructions should be effective for a period of five years the World Motor Sport Council has had regard: (i) to Mr. Symonds' acceptance that he took part in the conspiracy; and (ii) to his communication to the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council that it was to his "eternal regret and shame" that he participated in the conspiracy.

As regards Mr. Piquet Jr., the World Motor Sport Council confirms the immunity from individual sanctions under the International Sporting Code in relation to this incident, which the FIA had granted to him in exchange for volunteering his evidence.

As regards Fernando Alonso, the World Motor Sport Council thanks him for cooperating with the FIA's enquiries and for attending the meeting, and concludes that Mr. Alonso was not in any way involved in Renault F1's breach of the regulations.

The World Motor Sport Council would like to thank the Stewards and legal investigation team (in particular Dorothy Cory-Wright of Sidley Austin LLP who conducted the interviews at the Belgian Grand Prix).

The full reasons for this decision, in addition to a complete recording of the proceedings before the World Motor Sport Council, will be made available shortly.
 
#8 ·
They need Renault to stay in. If they left, there'd be only three manufacturers left.
I get that, and I get that there are 400 employees of Renault F1 who would all lose their jobs in December if Renault pulls out of the sport. However, I am concerned about the message this decision sends to other teams, especially manufacturer teams, about what the FIA is willing to overlook in order to keep big name teams in the game. There are 14 applications for 13 team spots next year. If you lost Renault there would still be a full roster, for the first time since 1994 IIRC.

Personally, I think what F1 really needs is to get rid of all the manufacturers, or at the very least restrict them to selling engines and gearboxes to private teams. I think much of what has gone wrong with F1 can be traced to when the manufacturers took over from the privateers.
 
#7 ·
F1 world lashes out at crash-gate leniency
(GMM) The press hit out after Renault escaped almost unscathed from Monday's so-called 'crash-gate' hearing of the World Motor Sport Council.

In its judgment, the FIA tribunal said the rules breach was of "unparalleled severity", but the London newspaper The Times said the penalty was one of "unparalleled leniency".

"The FIA cannot have it both ways," said the daily broadsheet, comparing the two-year suspended disqualification and Renault's paying for the FIA investigation with McLaren's $100m 'spy-gate' fine two years ago.

"The bill for the investigation is about $1.6 million, which makes Renault's sanction roughly $98.4 million cheaper," it added.

Spain's El Mundo agreed, calling crash-gate "a scandal without precedent and almost without punishment".

The Daily Mail likened Renault's feat to "The Great Escape", arguing that the French team "should not only be permanently expelled from the track, but face serious criminal charges".

Singapore newspaper The Straits Times accused F1's governing body of "one of sport's biggest cop-outs" and said by not harshly penalizing the deliberate crash, the FIA is telling F1's fans and marshals "that their lives are far less important than possibly losing the support of a car-making giant".

The New York Times agreed that the FIA had moved to safeguard "the participation of one of its most powerful and wealthy sponsors", and Britain's Daily Telegraph said "no one had foreseen quite how lenient the punishment would be".
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top