Renault race-fixing at Singapore 2008

[gcdugas]

with the evidence that was given to the WMSC i guess they have come up with the right verdict....

The only evidence available was the telemetry and NP's statement. Renault did not contest, in effect they admit culpability but not guilt.

In determining that such instructions should be applicable for an unlimited period, the World Motor Sport Council has had regard not only to the severity of the breach in which Mr. Briatore was complicit but also to his actions in continuing to deny his participation in the breach despite all the evidence."

What evidence and how can this be justice?

We know that Symonds confessed and essentially backed up Piqent's assertions. And who knows what other trace evisence there is. emails? texts? voicemails between Jr. and Flav during discussions etc.

[timbo]

I refuse to believe it was only Braitore, Symonds and the Piquet(s) who knew about the entire goings on. Your telling me no one else witnessed Briatore’s treatment of Nelson? Nobody had even a suspicion something wrong had happened? All of Nelson's engineers would have seen that telemetry and instantly known something was wrong.

IMO - 2 people have been made an example of, and rightly so, but alot more have been left unpunished.

So, why then Max didn't bother to look at telemetry last year?

[vall]

Your telling me no one else witnessed Briatore’s treatment of Nelson?

what treatment? This is NPjs' PoV! Isn't it normal for a team boss and manager to ask the driver to deliver? After all he had one full year to learn and the second you should start delivering.

[gcdugas]

I suspect that Renault and the FIA have already cut a deal. Renault wants no more bad publicity. The FIA and FOM need Renault to stay in F1. (so does Williams and possibly Red Bull). It is clear that the FIA and FOM are conspiring to preserve the market value of Alonso by not pursuing his possible involvement with any great zeal. Is there a Ferrari angle here too?

(I can't see Ferrari paying $41M to get rid of Kimi but... the 2010 Alonso rumors are strong. Why wouldn't Ferrari commit publicly to its 2010 driver line up at Monza? Could Renault be forced to "trade FA for Kimi in return?)

Considering FOM's interests and influence, I see the deal that was cut between Renault and the FIA to include a certain amount of silence and sweeping things under the rug. In return Renault will agree to remain in F1 for a few more years. The FIA will announce that it is unfair to punish Renault beyond stripping them of the ill gotten points. FOM will have to recalculate their 2008 Constructors money distribution in fairness to the other teams and Renault will have to surrender the amount back to FOM for redistribution. The FIA will also have to impose some sort of a penalty such as mandatory "public service" acts vis-a-vis some FIA "Safety Initiative" promotion (which will also benefit Renault's image ). The FIA will also pronounce that they are satisfied with the purging of guilty parties and that it is unfair for all the little people and hard working engineers to suffer because of the actions of a few. Also the fact of Renault being on probation for the Renault/Mac mini-spygate saga will similarly be treated as satisfied with the purging. Times have changed, F1 cannot lose another engine maker. Renault know this is their bargaining chip and will not pay anything near $100M. Max has got his pound of flesh with Flav's head on a platter so that mollifies his vindictive rage considerably. It will all be swept under the rug and a big happy face will be placed over everything.

The party line will be... "All is well. Justice has been served. Nothing to look at here. Let's move along now."

Prediction fulfilled

[i70q7m7ghw]

I refuse to believe it was only Braitore, Symonds and the Piquet(s) who knew about the entire goings on. Your telling me no one else witnessed Briatore’s treatment of Nelson? Nobody had even a suspicion something wrong had happened? All of Nelson's engineers would have seen that telemetry and instantly known something was wrong.

IMO - 2 people have been made an example of, and rightly so, but alot more have been left unpunished.

So, why then Max didn't bother to look at telemetry last year?

Probably because nobody said anything, I am sure as hell atleast one engineer inside that team knew something was rotten about the crash just by looking at the telemetry, but they said nothing. They may not have known anything about the plot to fix the race, but they must have known Nelson's crash wasn't completely accidental, and it doesn't take a genius to then look at the race result and put the two things together.

There were most certainly more people than just Flav, Pat and Nelson who knew about it, even if they suspected it they all just kept quiet.

[gcdugas]

I refuse to believe it was only Braitore, Symonds and the Piquet(s) who knew about the entire goings on. Your telling me no one else witnessed Briatore’s treatment of Nelson? Nobody had even a suspicion something wrong had happened? All of Nelson's engineers would have seen that telemetry and instantly known something was wrong.

IMO - 2 people have been made an example of, and rightly so, but alot more have been left unpunished.

So, why then Max didn't bother to look at telemetry last year?

Do you think Ari is going to comment on this after today’s findings are announced? He is, after all, running as a reform candidate and it now appears that the FIA isn’t lily white in this whole matter either.

To me he can make a bunch of political hay about it. The FIA knew but willingly did not pursue the matter last year at Brazil. Why not have the Quest guys interrogate NP Jr. right away? You don’t need him to be willing to sign any statement or “come forward”. That is a lie. A BIG FAT LIE. Hostile witnesses are interviewed everyday in crime investigations.

It could be that Max and the FIA sat on this saving it for political capital to be used at a more opportune time or for personal retribution when the time was ripe.

It is also possible that FOM wanted it to go away for commercial reasons affecting the 2008 WDC nail biter and popular champion as well as further sullying the sport after the world economy crashed in Sept ‘08. Certainly BCE found out mere seconds after Whiting conferred with Max in Brazil. Perhaps FOM knew Honda was already on the ropes and leaving but they didn’t want to shake things up and lose any more teams with a messy WDC title being settled in court.

And possibly the FIA wanted the whole matter to disappear for reasons of their own. Max was still suffering from his S&M-gate stature issues and if one remembers well it was the Brazilian federation who were among his strongest supporters going into his June “Extraordinary Meeting” concerning his fitness to continue as FIA President. Forcing NP Jr. to an interrogation which would certainly end his career is no way to repay the Brazilian federation for their support during the S&M-gate scandal. Also they couldn’t offer giving Massa the WDC title in court to pacify the Brazilian federation because he wold have been one more point behind LH if the results were recalculated. And even I think that the FIA wouldn’t stoop to this level of ugliness.

All this points to even the FIA being dragged kicking and screaming to the table. One could be excused for suspecting that NP Sr. called Max and Charlie this July and said the FIA needs to give NP Jr. immunity and take a statement from him or the Piquets were going to go public with it.

Either way, the FIA compromised itself by not unilaterally pursuing the matter as soon as they got wind of it. Such may or may not be the price Max had to repay them for past political favors but in any event it is certainly no way to run an organization with integrity.

I want to repeat, why not have the Quest guys interrogate NP Jr. right away? Any assertion that the FIA needs NP Jr. to be willing to sign any statement or “come forward” is a BIG FAT LIE. Put him on the record right away. It is a serious allegation and it demands serious pursuit. Hostile witnesses are interviewed everyday in crime investigations.

Ari already is challenging the status quo solely by his candidacy and he will certainly feel the wrath of the entrenched corrupted parties just for that. It isn’t easy to be a reform candidate. The daggers are going to come out no matter what you do. I think he needs to make the cover-up/non-investigation matter an issue and as another reason why a massive turnover in people is needed. He should assert that only his reform candidacy can provide the kind of fresh new leadership that is needed.

What other secrets could the FIA be sitting on?

[gcdugas]

One NP Jr. crash investigated, 16 more to go.

[timbo]

One NP Jr. crash investigated, 16 more to go.

Why don't we look at LH's race and Heikki Kovalainen's crash this year?

[King Six]

One NP Jr. crash investigated, 16 more to go.

lol well played

Piquet should've been punished too, like the Spanish motorsport head said, he also benefited from this in terms of contract extension and thus more money. He crashed to save his career, he endangered the lives of others for his personal self gain just as much as others in Renault F1.

I can't believe he got away!

[vall]

Piquet should've been punished too, like the Spanish motorsport head said, he also benefited from this in terms of contract extension and thus more money. He crashed to save his career, he endangered the lives of others for his personal self gain just as much as others in Renault F1.

I can't believe he got away!

Surprised? NPjr provided Flav's head to Max. I would not be surprised if he is hider by Manor fpr 2010

[tarzoon]

One NP Jr. crash investigated, 16 more to go.

Next one on the line is Hamilton's accident in China in 2007. I think he was also giving the championship to Alonso.

[timbo]

One NP Jr. crash investigated, 16 more to go.

Next one on the line is Hamilton's accident in China in 2007. I think he was also giving the championship to Alonso.

And in Brazil! More evidences - he pressed some buttons!

[Ray]

Yet again, justice did not prevail. If Juniors' lying, cheating, selfish ass gets back into F1 I will NEVER watch again. He's just as shitty a person as his dad. F*ck them both, the FIA, and whomever else decided he deserved immunity for endangering his fellow competitors and fans. F1 and the FIA are by far the worst racing series on earth. Corrupt to the core.

[Shaddock]

Renault got clean away with stealing McLaren designs for the susrension and got a slap on the wrist a couple of years ago. Now they get away with out and out cheating and race fixing, with a mild rebuke,

Honda got a couple of races ban for an 'enlarged fuel tank' McLaren $100m fine, and Renault a stern warning.

Something Stinks.

[nipo]

Shame on Nelsinho... He is using his statement of apology as an advertisement to get back into F1!

Your sins may be forgiven, but you pay a price for doing what you have done - and that will be never to race in F1 again.

Equally shameful is the verdict... I don't even want to talk about it.