Did Renault leaders order Nelson Piquet to crash, or is their former driver just out to get them?
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Formula One has had its share of scandals in recent years, but the cheating allegations that have been levied against Renault almost seem too far-fetched to believe.
In a transcript leaked to the press on Thursday, Nelson Piquet states team principal Flavio Briatore and engineering director Pat Symonds ordered him to crash during the 2008 Grand Prix of Singapore to help teammate Fernando Alonso.
Alonso went on to win the race after taking over the lead following a safety car period initiated by Piquet’s crash.
Piquet, who was booted from the team Aug. 3, said he followed orders to protect his Formula One career. That might explain why Renault brought him back after a forgettable 2008 season before finally getting fed up with his blank scoresheet.
Renault has denied the accusations and will defend itself before the World Motor Sport Council on Sept. 21.
It seems almost unimaginable that a Formula One team would potentially risk so much in order to win a race -- even if it’s the first-ever night race on a glamorous street circuit.
What would be the underlying motive behind asking a driver to purposely crash (and potentially risk injury to himself and others) so that his teammate could be in a good position to win a race?
Well, Formula One is perhaps the most cash-fueled sport in the world. And the pressure of finding sponsors and profits following a steep decline in the world economy last year could have pushed Renault’s bosses to do the unthinkable.
Money is the only thing in F1 that echoes louder in the paddock than the engines and, after nearly two years without a win, maybe Renault figured it was time to take desperate measures. After all, Renault, like several manufacturer teams, has seen its fair share of time in the ready-to-quit-F1 rumor mill. Perhaps a win is what they needed to escape the corporate nooses Honda and BMW had to suffer.
Or maybe Renault just got lucky and, combined with its improved performance, finally won again. Alonso’s victory at the Japanese Grand Prix a fortnight later also reflected Renault’s change in form.
It’s hard to believe Renault would risk its credibility (and a severe penalty) for a strong race result when it was already morphing back into a legitimate race contender. Is Piquet merely trying to get back at Briatore and Renault for getting rid of him, or is there something truly wrong here?
Five or six years ago, I would have sided with Renault on this scandal. But thanks to BAR’s secret fuel tank, StepneyGate and Lewis Hamilton‘s Down Under dirty deed, no one can assume Formula One is immune to cheating.
-- Austin Knoblauch
