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[EwanM]

Renault begins Piquets criminal action

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78478

By Pablo Elizalde Friday, September 11th 2009, 10:21 GMT

The Renault team and its boss Flavio Briatore have begun criminal proceedings against Nelson Piquet Junior and Nelson Piquet Senior following an alleged attempt "to blackmail" the French squad.

Renault is facing allegations of race-fixing after Piquet Jr told the FIA saying he had been asked to crash during the Singapore Grand Prix in order to benefit team-mate Fernando Alonso.

Briatore denied the accusations as "outrageous lies" and threatened with legal action, a threat that materialised on Friday, when Renault announced it had begun criminal proceedings against Piquet and his father.

"The FIA has announced that it is to hold an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council ('WMSC') on 21 September 2009," said Renault in a statement.

"The ING Renault F1 Team is to attend that meeting and answer allegations that members of the team conspired with Nelson Piquet Jnr to cause a deliberate accident at the 2008 Singapore GP, so that Fernando Alonso might benefit from the resulting safety car.

"The ING Renault F1 Team had not commented publicly during the FIA's initial investigation into this matter.

"However, today the ING Renault F1 Team and its Managing Director Flavio Briatore personally, wish to state that they have commenced criminal proceedings against Nelson Piquet Junior and Nelson Piquet Senior in France concerning the making of false allegations and a related attempt to blackmail the team into allowing Mr Piquet Jnr to drive for the remainder of the 2009 season.

"The matter will also be referred to the Police in the UK."

Imho, Renault would not be taking this course of action unless they knew that they were innocent of these charges. Why else would they go through this channel?

I mean if they were found guilty then they themselves would be subject to a legal suit by the Piquets...

[Gaz]

Yep thats good for Renault.

[Juliet P]

Renault begins Piquets criminal action

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78478

By Pablo Elizalde Friday, September 11th 2009, 10:21 GMT

The Renault team and its boss Flavio Briatore have begun criminal proceedings against Nelson Piquet Junior and Nelson Piquet Senior following an alleged attempt "to blackmail" the French squad.

Renault is facing allegations of race-fixing after Piquet Jr told the FIA saying he had been asked to crash during the Singapore Grand Prix in order to benefit team-mate Fernando Alonso.

Briatore denied the accusations as "outrageous lies" and threatened with legal action, a threat that materialised on Friday, when Renault announced it had begun criminal proceedings against Piquet and his father.

"The FIA has announced that it is to hold an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council ('WMSC') on 21 September 2009," said Renault in a statement.

"The ING Renault F1 Team is to attend that meeting and answer allegations that members of the team conspired with Nelson Piquet Jnr to cause a deliberate accident at the 2008 Singapore GP, so that Fernando Alonso might benefit from the resulting safety car.

"The ING Renault F1 Team had not commented publicly during the FIA's initial investigation into this matter.

"However, today the ING Renault F1 Team and its Managing Director Flavio Briatore personally, wish to state that they have commenced criminal proceedings against Nelson Piquet Junior and Nelson Piquet Senior in France concerning the making of false allegations and a related attempt to blackmail the team into allowing Mr Piquet Jnr to drive for the remainder of the 2009 season.

"The matter will also be referred to the Police in the UK."

Imho, Renault would not be taking this course of action unless they knew that they were innocent of these charges. Why else would they go through this channel?

I mean if they were found guilty then they themselves would be subject to a legal suit by the Piquets...

Not necessarily. Renault would also take this action if they knew they were guilty but also knew that it's a matter of Piquet's word against theirs. In that case it could be seen as an attempt to get Piquet to back down. And it's exactly the kind of aggressive move I would expect Briatore to make, when backed into a corner...

[EwanM]

Although Briatore is part of the legal action against the Piquets, Renault as a manufacturer will not have taken this decision lightly.

Alot is at stake for the team and the company as a whole, more will come out on this as time passes.

[Jabberwocky]

We are all assuming that Renault (non F1) know the truth about what happened in the meeting.

Mr Renault "So what is all this about race fixing Flavio?"
Flavio "Dunno boss they made it up"
Mr Renault "That is OK then Flav, otherwise I would have to of sacked you!"

[Gaz]

Although Briatore is part of the legal action against the Piquets, Renault as a manufacturer will not have taken this decision lightly.

Alot is at stake for the team and the company as a whole, more will come out on this as time passes.

[bud]

I think its a desperate act to be honest. They may well have tried to blackmail Renault but that doesnt mean crashgate never happened.

[Amanda]

I'm just in awe at the stupidity of the whole situation.

[EwanM]

I think its a desperate act to be honest. They may well have tried to blackmail Renault but that doesnt mean crashgate never happened.

We will see on the 21st.

[awesomerusty]

cant wait!!

[bud]

I think its a desperate act to be honest. They may well have tried to blackmail Renault but that doesnt mean crashgate never happened.

We will see on the 21st.

you dont rekn it happened? it was too perfect for it to be random events.

[EwanM]

I think its a desperate act to be honest. They may well have tried to blackmail Renault but that doesnt mean crashgate never happened.

We will see on the 21st.

you dont rekn it happened? it was too perfect for it to be random events.

Well of course I don't want to believe that it happened, however it is possible and if it did happen then it'll be revealed in the courts.

Alot of speculation is swirling around the world of F1 at the moment, and as ever much of it cannot be confirmed as the truth.

When the WMSC make their decision and then release the evidence which proves the decision, we'll be able to make a proper judgement.

[Jabberwocky]

I think it is a question of if the FIA can prove that the crash happened was pre meditated.

I am sure that over the radio Flavio did not shout "CRASH NOW PIQUET" so what other proof is there? Would they of been silly enough to have emails flying around over it after the McLaren incident?

input recordings from the car. just because he floored it coming out of the corner, power on oversteer span him into the wall. was it driver error? or pre meditated?

[MAD MAX]

At least everyone is now talking about Crash-gate and leaving Mclaren alone

[Jabberwocky]

for the time being. I heard Mclaren deliberately sprayed oil on the corner (joke)