Monza: Renault has taken legal action against
Nelson Piquet and his son over race-fixing claims that could
lead to the French team being thrown out of Formula One.
The team said today that team principal Flavio Briatore
has started criminal proceedings in France against former
driver Nelson Piquet Jr and his father, a three-time world
champion, for making false allegations and attempting to
blackmail Renault into renewing Piquet Jr's contract for the
2009 season.
Renault has been summoned to a hearing by governing body
FIA on Sept 21 to answer claims that Piquet Jr was asked to
crash at last year's Singapore Grand Prix to improve teammate
Fernando Alonso's chances of victory. The Spanish driver went
on to win the race.
"Renault F1 Team and its managing director Flavio
Briatore wish to state that they have commenced criminal
proceedings against Nelson Piquet Junior and Nelson Piquet
Senior in France concerning the making of false allegations
and a related attempt to blackmail the team into allowing Mr
Piquet Jr to drive for the remainder of the 2009 season,"
Renault said in the statement.
"The matter will also be referred to the Police in
(Britain)."
Piquet Jr's contract for 2009 had not been renewed at the
time of the Singapore GP. Briatore fired the Brazilian driver
after this season's Hungarian Grand Prix - which was held on
July 26 - after 1 seasons with the French team.
Piquet is believed to have supplied the FIA with details
of the allegations that the governing body is currently
investigating.
FIA confirmed today that Piquet Jr had been promised
immunity from prosecution in return for his testimony, just as
McLaren drivers Alonso and Lewis Hamilton were in 2007 to
testify during an inquiry into the spying scandal that
involved documents leaked from Ferrari to the British team.
Renault launched the legal action a day after a statement
Piquet Jr allegedly gave the FIA was leaked to various F1 Web
sites. The FIA again refused to confirm the verity of the
statement today.
The Formula One Teams Association expressed "concern" at
the leaking of the document.
"All parties to the dispute should have the right to a
fair hearing carried out in private and not in the public
arena, which is producing adverse publicity damaging to the
corporate image and credibility of Formula One," FOTA said in
a statement.
Piquet Jr's crash after 14 laps at F1's inaugural night
race brought out the safety car shortly after Alonso had
pitted. The two-time world champion was then able to position
himself for victory by moving up the grid behind the safety
car, which lapped the track seven times before coming into the
pit lane.
Alonso denies having any knowledge of the alleged plans.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, September 11, 2009, 20:38