Quite surprised the Piquets were actually prepared to come forward - Mosley

FIA President Max Mosley admits that the crash of Nelson Piquet Jr. during last year's Singapore Grand Prix does appear to be suspicious. On Monday, Renault will face the World Motor Sport Council over the race-fix scandal.

Max Mosley declared to the British newspaper 'The Guardian': "Certainly the data from the car indicated that something very unusual had happened on the corner where he crashed, according to the experts who look at these things, so there was enough there to make it unthinkable not to investigate. This week Renault will send in written documents but the actual hearing of their defence is next Monday."

The FIA President also admitted in the interview that gossip surrounding the incident had already reached the FIA two or three months ago, but due to the lack of evidence, the governing body couldn't act on it.

"Two or three months earlier I'd heard this allegation was floating around. Of course, there was nothing one could do then because there was no evidence, it was all rumour and hearsay; so I knew the allegation existed but, yes, I was quite surprised they were actually prepared to come forward and make it.

"Nelson Piquet Sr. came to see me after the Hungarian Grand Prix in late July and said all this had happened, so I listened to him and said 'Well, if Nelson makes a sworn statement then obviously we'll investigate it.' The father arranged for that to happen. We then started to look at all the on-board data and all the recordings we've got of everything that happened in the car."

We have to add that at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the Piquet-clan already knew that it was going to be Nelsinho's final race for the French outfit. Nelsinho gave his statement to the FIA only four days after being dropped by Renault, so despite the fact that the allegations might be true (let's wait for the hearing next week), this smells like revenge of the Piquet-clan. A revenge plan that not only damages Formula One and Renault, but especially the young driver himself.