Renault escapes harsh penalty in ‘crashgate’ scandal
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By cutting off its ties with the ‘crashgate’ conspirators, Renault‘s Formula One team has been shown mercy by the sport’s governing body.Renault received a suspended two-year ban by the FIA today after the French team announced last week it would not contest charges of race-fixing stemming from a crash at the 2008 Grand Prix of Singapore. If the team breaks any rules within the next two years, it risks a permanent ban from the sport.
In addition, the World Motor Sport Council did not impose a fine on the French team.
However, the FIA wasn’t so merciful to Renault’s former team leaders, Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds.
Briatore, who resigned last week as team principal after a 20-year career in Formula One, was banned indefinitely. As a result, he’ll also be unable to act as an agent to drivers in the sport. Symonds, Renault’s former engineering director, was given a five-year suspension.
Nelson Piquet wasn’t penalized after receiving immunity by the FIA in exchange for his testimony. Piquet said he was ordered by Briatore and Symonds to crash in order to help teammate Fernando Alonso, who went on to win the race.
Alonso, who told reporters during the weekend of the Italian Grand Prix he knew nothing about the alleged incident, was cleared of wrongdoing.
The lenient decision makes sense considering the decreased involvement of manufacturers in F1 over the last year. Honda pulled out of the sport after the 2008 season and BMW announced this summer it wouldn’t be coming back next year.
Renault team president Bernard Rey made no promises today as to whether the team would return next season.
It remains to be seen whether the FIA’s merciful stance will be enough to keep another major auto manufacturer from leaving the paddock. Auto manufacturers use Formula One primarily as a marketing tool (now that the technical development side has been severely reduced), and it’s anyone’s guess as to how long it’ll take Renault to repair the damage done by one of motor sport’s worst cheating scandals.
-- Austin Knoblauch
