Renault escape with two-year suspended ban;
Briatore and Symonds banned from motor sport;
Alonso, Webber, Grosjean and Kovalainen need to seek new driver-managers.
Renault has been given a two year suspended ban for their involvement in the Crashgate saga. Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds have both received bans from motor sport.
The FIA s World Motor Sport Council met in Paris to discuss the matter. The WMSC ruled that the race fixing saga was of unparalled severity and although the incident was worth of banning the team from Formula One, the decision was made to suspend the ban for two seasons as Renault admitted that they were guilty and had taken action against men responsible for the controversy. The FIA also confirmed that the Renault F1 team had apologised to the FIA over the incident.
A statement by the FIA reads, “The World Motor Sport Council considers Renault F1’s breaches relating to the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to be of unparalleled severity.
“Renault F1’s breaches not only compromised the integrity of the sport but also endangered the lives of spectators, officials, other competitors and Nelson Piquet Jr. himself. The World Motor Sport Council considers that offences of this severity merit permanent disqualification from the FIA Formula One World Championship.
“However, having regard to the points in mitigation mentioned above and in particular the steps taken by Renault F1 to identify and address the failings within its team and condemn the actions of the individuals involved, the WMSC has decided to suspend Renault F1’s disqualification until the end of the 2011 season. The World Motor Sport Council will only activate this disqualification if Renault F1 is found guilty of a comparable breach during that time.
“It also hereby instructs all officials present at FIA-sanctioned events not to permit Mr. Briatore access to any areas under the FIA’s jurisdiction.
“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.
“In determining that such instructions should be effective for a period of five years the World Motor Sport Council has had regard: (i) to Mr. Symonds’ acceptance that he took part in the conspiracy; and (ii) to his communication to the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council that it was to his “eternal regret and shame” that he participated in the conspiracy.â€
Flavio Briatore s ban also means that he will not be allowed to manage any Formula One drivers as the FIA has explicitly stated that any driver who is associated with Briatore will not be granted a Superlicence. Briatore currently manages Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Heikki Kovalainen and Roman Grosjean, all of whom will need to find a new manager if they wish to stay in the sport.
Nelson Piquet Jr has also been given immunity from individual sanctions under the International Sporting Code in relation to this incident, which the FIA had granted to him in exchange for volunteering his evidence.
The FIA have also confirmed that Alonso cooperated fully with the FIA over the controversial matter and has concluded the Spanish driver was not involved in the incident.
