The FIA has confirmed that there is an investigation under way regarding what the spokesperson called “alleged incidents at a previous FIA Formula 1 World Championship event”.
The confirmation comes following reports on Brazilian TV that Renault driver Nelson Piquet was ordered to crash by the Renault team in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to enable his team-mate Fernando Alonso to take advantage of an early pit stop in order to win a surprising victory.
joeblogsf1 
Could this maybe be a fabricated ‘Sir Humphrey Appleby’ style leak to the press? – Piquet sour grapes perhaps?
Or could it be true? – Still Piquet sour grapes?
Either way, if the information does prove to have come from the Piquet camp, ‘Junior’ will never get another drive in F1.
Who would take the chance?
Please let this be a sick joke of the Piquet clan. If not Renault should be punished. Hard.
[CUE] Exit Renault.
Hell hath no fury………………….
I am so happy, a feared we ‘d have to concentrate on pure racing and technology, but alas politics are back, can’t wait to see MM giving out punishment, (with his trouser up this time)
Evidence? Short of actual radio records there is nothing that could change the results. Not even a disgruntled engineer agreeing with Piquet Jr. on every word.
Moreover, can you crash a car in a way that is certain to bring out the SC? The SC comes out in about 10% of the crashes, and an even lower percentage if it is a single car crash.
Shame on the FIA for letting this get public. Can’t they be discrete in anything? Bring on Ari now!
Well, if we could get back to the racing for a second, Fisichella is just the sort of old boy that “sport” is supposed to be about.
And I suppose Räikkönen as well, given his screw-it attitude about sucking up to pretty much anything.
Monza will be the last real test of who wins this year: the predictable or the true.
Sour grapes.
Why assume a conspiracy where luck is a much simpler answer (Occam’s Razor FTW).
Apparently the source of this new evidence has been found.
A disgruntled Renault employee intent on espionage sent some documents to be copied to a copy shop in Lightwater, Surrey.
The owner of the shop noticed the sensitive nature of the documents and, being a lifelong fan of the FIA, telephoned “someone” in the FIA and spilled the beans.
Too serious lads.
You can very easily crash a car in a way certain to bring out the SC, when you’re racing on a street circuit with very few runoff areas.
That said, considering that the story came from the Brazilian press, I’m still not terribly confident about the veracity of this whole thing.
I don’t agree that this should be conducted publicly. It is too inflammatory. It is like investigating a father who has been accused of molesting his children. If it turn out he is fully innocent, then the damage done by such an investigation will leave a irremovable taint form which recovery is impossible. No matter the outcome, the taint upon Renault will always be there. Even if it is proved to be 100% the fabrication of a disgruntled engineer, driver or whatever. It will always be lingering as a presence in people’s minds. Below are two parallel conversations…
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“Say, isn’t he the man who was accused of molesting his daughter?”
—Yeah but he was cleared and it was just an anonymous tip of a nosy neighbor who held a grudge.
“Well you know what they say… where there is smoke there is fire.”
You know what, I heard that the team did some questionable traction control software things back in the 1990s. Where there is smoke there is fire?
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Great move Max, great for F1, let’s pressure Renault to leave F1 too. Can’t you do anything in a discrete manner? Are you that unaware of the ramifications of your actions or are you conducting a scorched earth vendetta before you leave?
Remember that Fernando won the very next race at Fuji CLEARLY on merit and finished 2nd at Brasil. The car was manifestly getting faster at the end of the year. No driver scored more points in the last four races, or in the last three races discounting Singapore. And only Felipe equaled Fernando’s 33 pts in the last six races. That is consistency. It points to Singapore not being a fluke. A great “at-a-glance” chart is here: http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/standings/index2008.shtml Just look at Fernando’s last six races and then ask yourself, was ALL of this the result of on track shenanigans? Clearly not.
Such scandalous claims also take credit away from the engineers who worked hard to find that speed in that car.
Who will more stupid than piquet to crash his car in the wall.
Who’s hasn’t competence do not fixes in none place.