Renault have said that they will "not contest" the accusation that they deliberately told Nelson Piquet Jr to crash during last year's Singapore GP, in a move that has seen Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds part company with the team.
The Renault team have said that they will "not contest" the accusation that they deliberately told Nelson Piquet Jr to crash during last year's Singapore GP in order to give Fernando Alonso the win, in a move that has seen Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds part company with the team.
Renault announced the departure of Symonds and Briatore on Wednesday morning, at a time when they were largely expected to be preparing their defence evidence for the WMSC hearing on Monday. The team will still be forced to attend the hearing in Paris though, and their punishment could range to expulsion from the world championship.
A statement from the team stated that: "The ING Renault F1 Team will not dispute the recent allegations made by the FIA concerning the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
"It also wishes to state that its managing director, Flavio Briatore and its executive director of engineering, Pat Symonds, have left the team. Before attending the hearing before the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on 21 September 2009, the team will not make any further comment."
The allegation that Piquet was told to deliberately crash came from the Brazilian driver, after he approached the FIA shortly before his contract with the Renault team was terminated. He alledges that Briatore and Symonds told him to crash on lap 14 of the race at turn 17, in order to trigger a safety car period that would allow Alonso to take the lead of the race. Two-time champion Alonso has insisted that he knew nothing of the plans.
The investigation has spiralled out of control in recent weeks, with the FIA interviewing key Renault figures during the Belgian GP weekend, Briatore starting legal proceedings against Piquet Jr and his father for "blackmail" and the WMSC hearing being called after Symonds refused to answer questions as to whether and pre-race meeting had taken place.
The Renault team were due to submit their defence to the FIA today ahead of Monday's WMSC court hearing, but instead have decided not to try and defend their actions in the face of evidence that includes telemetry from Piquet's car, pit radio trnascripts and details from Piquet Jr's original statement.
Earlier it was revealed that Symonds had been offered immunity over the case, in return for providing further details to the FIA.
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