Rome: Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has again come under the spotlight for his role in the
`crash-gate` scandal which led to the sackings of top
officials with the Renault team.
On the orders of Renault, Brazilian Nelson Piquet Jr
deliberately crashed at the Singapore Grand Prix last year,
opening the door for team-mate Alonso`s remarkable win after
he had started at the back of the grid.
The scandal led to the downfall of team principal Flavio
Briatore and chief engineer Pat Symonds, but as the
"whistleblower", Piquet, who was sacked by Renault in July,
was given immunity from official sanction.
Alonso has so far avoided fallout from the affair, but a
day after Brazilian Felipe Massa claimed Alonso knew of the
team`s plans Piquet Jr`s father, former racing driver Nelson
Piquet, told Gazzetta dello Sport that everyone in the team
was aware.
"Briatore convinced Nelsinho (Piquet Jr) to provoke the
accident, and Alonso knew about it. Everyone knew, do you
think that Alonso would start from 15th on the grid and stop
shortly afterwards to refuel (if he had not been aware of the
plan)?" Piquet said.
Piquet Jr has always claimed he acted on the orders of
Briatore and Symonds, however documents published by the FIA
appear to suggest that Piquet Jr suggested the scheme to the
team.
Ferrari driver Massa reignited the controversy over the
affair yesterday when he said Ferrari-bound Alonso must have
been involved in the Renault plot.
Speaking at a meeting late Wednesday with reporters ahead
of this weekend`s Brazilian Grand Prix, Massa said, "He knew.
(It`s an) absolute certainty."
The 27-year-old Brazilian driver`s comments caused uproar
and prompted Ferrari to issue a statement on the team`s
website stressing that he was talking only about his own
feelings, rather than any factual evidence.
In his Ferrari-vetted official statement, Massa added:
"What I`ve said is the outcome of a hunch I`ve had and is not
based on any concrete evidence.”
Alonso rejected the allegations yesterday, saying: "I
made it clear to the World Council I had nothing to do with
what happened in Singapore last year.
"I was not involved in anything, I didn`t know anything,
so there were no doubts."
Bureau Report
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