London: Timeline after the International
Automobile Federation (FIA) gave Renault a two-year suspended
ban from the Formula One world championship after the team
admitted to race-fixing at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix:
Sept 28, 2008 - Renault's Nelson Piquet crashed on lap 13/14
of the Singapore Grand Prix, allowing team mate Fernando Alonso
to move into the lead behind the safety car having just
refuelled. Alonso went on to win the race.
Aug 3, 2009 - After scoring no points from 10 starts, Piquet
received notice from Renault they were withdrawing him from the
championship with immediate effect.
Aug 30 - Formula One's governing body the FIA (International
Automobile Federation) opened an investigation into the 2008
Singapore race.
Sept 4 - The FIA said in a statement Renault would face
charges of fixing the Singapore race and team representatives
had been summoned to a meeting in Paris on Sept. 21.
Sept 11 - Renault started criminal proceedings against
Piquet and his father, a triple Formula One world champion, for
alleging the team rigged the Singapore race. On the same day,
Piquet Jr was offered immunity from prosecution by FIA president
Max Mosley if he told the truth.
Sept 16 - Renault said it would not contest the race-fixing
charges and boss Flavio Briatore and director of engineering Pat
Symonds left the team.
Sept 21 - Renault were handed a two-year suspended ban from
Formula One until the end of the 2011 season at an FIA World
Motor Sport Council hearing in Paris.
Briatore was banned from any further involvement in the
sport while Symonds got a five-year ban. Spanish double world
champion Alonso was exonerated of any involvement. Piquet Jr had
been granted immunity before the hearing.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, September 21, 2009, 19:06