Briatore quits as Renault admits defeat in 'crashgate'

• Source: Global Times
• [01:35 September 17 2009]
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Flavio Briatore

Team chief Flavio Briatore yesterday sensationally quit the Renault Formula One team, which has been hit by serious allegations of cheating at last year's GP in Singapore, said the team in a statement.

Briatore and Pat Symonds, director of engineering, had both left the team ahead of a meeting Tuesday with the sport's world ruling body the FIA to explain recent allegations of race-fixing.

Renault have been summoned to appear before the FIA's International Motor Sport Council in Paris to answer claims by Nelson Piquet junior that he was asked to crash deliberately during the 2008 Singapore GP, so giving a race-winning advantage to his teammate Fernando Alonso.

If Renault are found guilty of race-fixing, they could be expeled from the sport.

Renault had denied all of the claims made against them by Piquet junior but Wednesday appeared to partly admit some role in the controversy by saying that they "would not contest the FIA's recent allegations concerning the Singapore GP."

Agencies