Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds leave Renault F1
Published
By Mr. C.
Today, Renault F1 sent out the following press release confirming the immediate departure of both its managing director and executive director of engineering:
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.
More to follow...
504 Responses
JRobertsF1: Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds have left the Renault team according to a statement they have just released!
OOH!
wha???
Blimey!
http://www.ing...newsdesk/communiques/
BBC have it too
LeeMcKenzie reporting same
"LeeMcK: Briatore and Symonds leave Renault - Renault will NOT dispute the recent allegations made by the FIA concerning 2008 Singapore GP."
OH sh...
Max gets his way, again
But it seems that the two of them brought it onto themselves ...
Essentially meaning, I guess, Pat has taken the immunity and therefore been fired?
Et, bonjeur, Monsieur Prost!
So... now, what?
The way I see this, Renault are staying in the sport. The team in itself will be spared from further punishment.
Not sure if Symonds took the immunity - the WMSC may have gotten what they wanted before he took it.
I guess this way they won't be banned from FIA motorsports though who'd employ them now
Of course, Renault could have asked them to leave
So, are any of the new teams going to snap symonds up in time for next season? Surely that amount of experience would be invaluable, even if there's a cloud over his head.
I've no idea what Flav will do, install himself as a football manager somewhere?
Flavio can easily build his own team - but who'd trust him?
Shh
Is that the sound of champagne corks popping at the Piquet and Mosley households?
Joe S may live in France, but I can hear him cracking open the champaaaaaaaaaaaagne from here.
If there's no ban, someone might just be crazy enough to do it. That's a big if, of course...
I wonder how he and Bernie are now - and if this will impact their relationship at QPR, but that's a different story.
Yes, and the Saward household too.
:D
Just to make it official: http://www.aut...s/report.php/id/78668
Interesting point FTA:
...in theory. But in reality...
That's more official than Renualt's own press release? :-D
:D It's the trusted source!
Does this make sense as a theory, Symonds decided he had to take the imunity, went to Renault to tell them and they axed him.
That would make sense.
Next question: What happens to Alonso now?
Does this make it more or less likely that he's moving to Ferrari next year?
gosh, things happen when I nap!
Makes sense to me.
Always does. :D
the only thing worth staying at renault for, was pat, right?
whatever happens, he won't be at renault.
I think its a definate now.
Sweet lord, I step away from the computer 5 minutes and this happens....
Where's Rubbergoat... I'd just gone into Renault's news RSS just before that was released and missed it while commenting on his blog!
does today's statement also imply that alonso isn't in trouble for this scandal?
I'm free!
that's why i was thinking it could be less possible.
i think so, otherwise they'd have removed him at the same time, no?
Stepney was banned after being removed.
If they're guilty I assume the FIA will make sure they can't come back.
He must be made of teflon that man!
Why would he be in trouble? It wasn't him who told Nels to crash.
indeed. right, then. so the two men instrumental in Enstone's history are gone. kaput. i think it'll be very tough for Renault to bounce back now. Alan Permane would be the favorite to take over Symonds' post.
He must have known about it?
yes, but if he knew about it beforehand, he'd be in trouble too.
I can't imagine he would be in trouble to be honest. I don't think it was ever likely that he'd be blamed.
It'd be too bad for the sport. Everyone can kinda believe that Flav would get involved with junk like this. Alonso is a different proposition.
and?
I think Renault may fold and just build engines again.
Sigh... what to do with my Renault shirt now?
Indeed he is.
Hello Qadbak? But that's assuming no one buys Enstone - which is a possibility.
I don't agree with this.
If he knew about it and did not say anything then that makes him a co-conspirator?
did we decide gp2 would be in trouble without flav? or does it make no odds.
so, the usual Renault. kind admit the guilt and hope for leniency ...
The other side to this is that perhaps they didn't do it but the bosses at Renault have decided whatever the outcome, they're being dragged through the mud and they want out of the scandal whether it's truth or lie.
they can survive with flav OR with Renault as an engine supplier. if both are gone, THEN they're in trouble.
that said, bernie owns part of gp2, no? so he'd have prepared a plan to cover this eventuality?
or will we see f2 take over as the main support event?
PS: Hey Fernando, you're stuck at the back on a track where you can't overtake. Normally we'd fuel you up to the gills but today we've decided to fuel you light so you can lose the speed advantage in the dirty air stuck behind Nakajima.
FA: Sounds good to me!
Somehow I don't think that's how it went...
well that would be convenient!
i suspect a deal has been made, which is why we're seeing flav and pat gone. we'll see the deal in full on monday.
LOL!
GP2 could use Cossie or Zytek engines?
I would just say that the average person in the office type people I've been talking to has been consistently saying to me since this broke things like, "told you Alonso was a cheat - always known it", etc.
they also say they will not dispute the charges ... if they did not do it one would expect them to fight ...
Typical.
never mind convenient, that's remarkable. if you told me at the start of this season that F2 might outlast GP2, i'd laugh you off...
Ahhhh! yes, they can! Cossies, in particular.
Very interesting, that...
F2 has done brilliantly all things considered...
well, their last F1 engine may be good enough for GP2 :-)
So what if they said "Hey Fernando, don't worry about it, we've got something special worked out for you *wink wink*"
He doesn't have to specifically know. Also, he's a canny man. If he knew anything, I'd have thought he'd sell Flav out to save himself.
with max behind it? it was always going to be a success. bernie may have a fight on his hands though.
indeed. but the quality of the grid is inferior to gp2... at the moment, anyway.
But he also had a history of it at McLaren with the Spygate thingy... he knew and kept it quiet...
And that says a LOT!
it's one thing to be successful, quite another to outlast a (relatively) stable gp2. it'll be interesting to see what happens.
First season though - and nobody took it seriously until it started...
jeeezzzzz
indeed. even the feeder series might end up being in a state of flux now.
it is, but with money needed to race in F2, if that stays the way it is, the series will be more about talent and less about fat wallet ...
...louise? ;)
Hi Mrs. Goat. :D
I posted it - but it was her reaction, so I thought I'd share ;)
but that's the thing - the really good ones already have funding, and will go to the well-established series, like GP2 or WSR.
WSR... now there's another series that might be in some trouble, although probably not as bad as GP2.
A lot of the general sports fan type people suggest that their dislike of him started with the blocking of Lewis, then was cemented by the spygate thing and several of them said to me this week, "so when are will they be giving Alonso his normal immunity".
I'm not saying he was implicated but in the general public's mind he's quite often seen as a dirty player. Maybe that's a UK thing though?
If it's not contested, it looks like Flavio and Pat will be found guilty in their absence and the offer of immunity to Pat will be out of the window.
I think they're both looking at bans.
Then he went behind Ron's back to the FIA with his evidence?
Perhaps it will become WS?
I don't think Renault will pull out of Motorsports completeky though...
Don't forget the hissy fits
It is. As an Alonso fan my friends give me grief about it all the time.
...by who?
Hopefully renault will still be bunished somewhat... Not nececaraliy kicked out but a small fine of $100Million should do the trcik.
Why hasn't flav started taking people to court yet? Its very confusing...
Presumably he was never going to get immunity in return for refusing to answer questions.
I think so. I like the man and I don't like how he has become the bad guy...
Perhaps it is. A lot of people's view of Alonso here has softened since he returned to Renault, but probably because our loyalty is more team-based than driver-based. And a lot of Asians are Ferrari fans...
Other questions that need to be asked:
1. Will there be any changes made to the Singapore GP results? As I remember from Steven Roy, it probably can't be changed anymore, but the first night race will suddenly be remembered for a much darker reason.
2. Will Renault do any PR exercises to limit the damage, like refunds similar to what Michelin did post-Indy 2005?
I was a classic Alonso disliker. I've come to quite like him lately though. I don't think he's in deep with this. Why would they get him involved?
Can the FIA ban Flavio from managing drivers too?
Right, work beckons so I must leave
Can we have tomorrow's scandal & breakout thread about an hour earlier please?
Thanks
Renault now the 2nd highest trending topic on Twitter, just ahead of... Muse!
Because he was the one who stood to benefit from it?
:D
:D
I see him a bit like i saw schumacher.
Although i dont hate him half as much, he does have a personality which helps... but still... I understand the need to help the sports biggest stars, but they dont help themselves when they are constantly involved in questionable things.
Alonso isnt too bad, certainly not Schu levels...but if something does happen at some point in the future all this will be looked back on differently
Pun intended. ;)
did we mention this tweet from 5livef1:
"apparently here are the dossiers complied by the FIA "
The full FIA dossier of evidence against Renault
Probably
Ciao
Flavio made the list too - he will be pleased!
Darker than night? :D
How? Why?
They can ban him from the paddock, and that would effectively mean he can't manage drivers, right?
This'll put people like Trulli and Webber (both Briatore handles) in a bit of a pickle...
Please!
Ban him from even buying race tickets in row Z
Too true.
A lot of people will feel they got cheated from watching a real race. I know I am. I'm not expecting a refund - it's too far long ago - but it'll make me feel a lot better about spending GBP500 for a fixed race.
P8, to be exact.
I put it to drop.io as one document
ahahahaha sorry J, i dont think so, but you could try ;)
You have a point but it won't happen!
wow. thankyou!
But the more people they tell, the more likely they are to be found out. Why would you trust Alonso after the way he behaved at McLaren? It's obvious he's just chasing the best drive he can get, I don't think he has any great loyalty to Renault or Flav personally.
it was linked to earlier in the day - don't think you were around yet. basically, these are the actual docs that formed the basis of the Racefax PDF from last Friday.
wow! thank you! :D
Most importantly what does Kanye think about their departures?
I don't feel any different about how I viewed the race but I wouldn't say no to getting my money back ;)
Amy and Wolf would be interested too - it was Wolf who first brought it up, if i recall correctly.
got ya. cheers.
He'd say Ron Dennis' departure was better. :P
"I know you're quitting F1, and I'mma let you finish, but BMW had one of the BEST DEPARTURES OF ALL TIME."
hehe, you could try finding a news crew and crying in front of the cameras...
Indeedy. :D
:D
Expect Renault to crash and Flavio to be bumped up to P1
:D :P
Put it this way - you were there, and you saw what became known as the Race-fixing scandal!
hehehehe
heeheeheeheeee :D
Interesting point I missed
PK wasnt sacked immediatly after hungary, it was about 2 weeks later....
Technically he was a whistle-blower as he went to the FIA before he was sacked.
Could he sue Renault?
Depends if they announced it at the same time that he was actually sacked.
What does this mean for the sport? How do we justify this to our non-F1 friends?
I think he must have been or the timing of his statement was strange, wouldn't they have wanted to announce it to distract from their 1 race ban?
my non F1 fans won't even know it's happening.
ours neither. there's nothing to explain is there?
two people have been accused of cheating and now they've left the team. oh and the fia leaks like a sieve.
Just the opposite perhaps. Piquet announced it almost straight after Hungary.
If they watch football you could just point and laugh....
Dont think that will help though...
Tell him its a bit like a coach giving half the team steroids so his favourite player can score more goals
They've cleared out the rubbish and all is well again... until the next scandal.
some of the rubbish...
This sounds like a good game for twitter: #crashgate in 140 characters or less
Let's not go into to all that for the non-F1 fans
Do these non f1 fans watch f1 or not?
Because a lot of them do. I get very odd txts in the races to prove it.
So why didn't Symonds sell Flav out when he had the chance? I understand as director of the team, Flav couldn't do likewise without still being held responsible. Flav issued outright denials though. I don't understand why they didn't co-ordinate their defense, particularly if they did it.
Surely that is bad for Max and/or Todt too?
who'll get the "commercial development" gig in fota now?
How we know Pat didnt?
If he sold out Flav he will have sold out Renault, so he would have to resign
Maybe Pat realised whatever he did, he would look bad...
it would be, if the fans were voting for them. but it's the clubs who vote, and they're more concerned with patronage.
I watched F1 races for years without a clue of what was going on beyond the basic, driving in a circle aspect. My dad gave up on me.
The leaks I meant.
Surely this means those in Max's cabinet lack integrity?
Peter Windsor?
hmmm... good question. not sure anyone's really qualified...
richard branson? and i mean that in all seriousness.
...and this is surprising, how? it wouldn't surprise me at all.
Sounds good to me. A fresh non-F1 person who knows marketing and branding. Plus he didn't half look good in a bridal dress ;)
It might point the car clubs towards voting for Ari...
He would have to buy significantly into Maor though, as far as i know he is just a sponsor? In anycase i cant see him caring enough to do it
The last one did such a great job of promoting F1's image it'll be a hard act to follow
Joe says he's buying a stake in the team...
:D
Maybe, I would rate the chances of him taking a FOTA post at about 1% though.
He will be Vocal, but its not in his style to associate himself with an organisation like that in an official role
Can we now say about Briatore:
'F***ing disgrace, he's not a real F1 Team Manager!'
Never ever would I have thought this would happen in F1. Unbelievable. I am in shock!
Really? Perhaps I'm just more cynical...
I can't believe he's been stupid enough to let this get to the FIA....
To clarify, I mean I'm shocked he's let himself get caught doing the dirty. I'm not shocked that he did it.
Sacking Piquet either points to his belief in the size of his own ego, stupidity, or pressure from renault
I said that in 1994. That's why I can believe this.
To me this is the worst kind of cheating and bad sportsmanship without excuse.
When it's technical, it's bad, but really it's engineers pushing the envelope too far.
But when someone is asked to throw a race at the behest of his own safety - when he cheated all the F1 teams, millions of fans, tons of bookies and made many multinational corporations look bad, it's beyond the pale. I hope all involved are never allowed near an F1 paddock ever again!
how long would he have had to have kept Piquet for?
What punishment will Renault get now they've left? Race Bans? Hefty Fine? Anando gets stripped of his Singapore win?
Lewis was disqualified from the results in Melbourne, after they lied to the FIA. It's a bit late for that though.
Or more properly, how would he have got rid of him?
That has a worrying solution
Thats true, but i dont think sacking him at the end of the year would have angered them as much. He could still have gotten a drive.
Saying that though the PK's could have carried on until senior was in line to replace Alonso
Sacking him mid-season was humiliating though. He could have helped Piquet get another drive probably at one of these new teams at the end of the year.... He was his manager after-all. This isn't what's best for his driver.
Ban those involved from the sport and fine them to the amount of prize money won last year. Renault will pull out anyway...
Flav story
on BBC now..
I don't think it's worse than the fuel filter incident
Indeed. And now we don't know what they were capable of if they go to the lengths of throwing a race...
He could have died.... It's unlikely but it's possible. If he had, we'd be talking about manslaughter now. The risk to life makes it so much more serious than a bit of old fashioned cheating.
Actually you are right there - that was an awful incident and Renault got off really lightly on that one...
I think he'd already failed that test if he'd asked PK to crash
Will Mark Webber sack him?
The pressure to do so must be there...
Why was he still his manager anyway?
Benetton to be fair
Symonds and Briatore though...
Presumably he will ditch him now yes. I guess he's done okay by Mark no? He's in a good drive at the moment, he's been resigned.
...and brawn
* re-signed :P
How long is his contract for? Could be for a few years.
If Briatore gets banned he may breach his contract and may not have to be sacked...
hehe :D
Oh no... this story might come too late for Paper Autosport... MrC will be disappointed ;)
So could Verstappen (or He Who Must Not Be Named given he had the same treatment on his car) or his pit crew.
I'm not familiar with this incident at all I'm afraid.
I don't think the fact he's in a good drive is down to Flavio, it was only an okay drive last year.
Benetton had the issue in 1994 with the uncompiled Traction Control program inside the onboard computer, does anyone remember that?
The FIA said they found something in the computer which amounted to Traction Control, but Benetton said yes it was there, but that it hadn't been compiled or used at all.
They had race bans then as well, but I can't quite remember what for.
No, not at all. Is he really due a better one though? I think he's got himself the best drive realistically available to him. Surely Flavio needs some credit for that.
From f1scoop:
Thoughts?
Oops, forgot this:
Yes please. But ex-BMW will get back in first...
Maybe but he would have to buy the Renault facility... Thats not really how he works....
Initial thought is one of irony - the last time Briatore was fired at Enstone, he was replaced by Richards...
I guess this means RBR will definitely be changing engines next year?
Perhaps the engines will still be around though?
Would they want them?
Why not?
Bang?
http://www.pit...hp/750/1994-benetton/
Maybe they become the 'factory team' if Renault withdraw the car?
The heavy footed Vettel you mean?
And what of Williams?
Don't you go blaming my Sebastian....
Pssst... he cant even overtake.
Indeed!
He got past Hamilton at a rather crucial moment....
EJ on BBCN24
I never even linked the Verstappen fire with their Fuel Rig tampering before. I remember the Spa Plank, and the Black Flag, and obviously the Traction Control thing.
That's what it's like where I work...
I torn at the moment, couldn't really care less about Flavio, although I did find him amusing. Pat though..OMG! I can't bring myself to believe he would cheat, he's one of the only people down the pitlane I used to believe when he spoke.....
Oh dear
RUN AWAY!!!
I do really think so much of that is to do with this year's car design. It seems to be so badly affected aerodynamically when following another car.
Maybe, but i am yet to be convinced.
He's just a young guy. I'm sure he'll prove himself.
I read this and thought Joe was buying a stake in the Virgin team!
There was a great article about the secret meeting Max, Bernie, Flavio and a lawyer had the night before the hearing but it keeps getting pulled from the web or at least I can never find it when I want it.
Find it!!
I spent an hour only a few days ago with no luck, so not holding up much hope :-)
Wow!I genuinely gave Symonds the benefit of doubt on this one.
That was said about Stepney and he works for a GT team now.
Have you read the leaked quotes?
Throughout all the rumours of him going to Ferrari, I always thought he'd stay with Renault for as long as they were there. This changes everything. He's gone.
Where and how?
The whole dossier is on drop.io.
I think I remember seeing mention of CVC being involved somewhere, either as well as or instead of Bernie.
Drop.io
http://drop.io...ast/asset/renault-pdf
Great thank you :)
Just a thought - if Renault stay as engine suppliers only, and RBR go for Mercs, leaving it to Williams...
Would a Williams-Renault package become competitive again, because it's not just a customer deal?
I was the reverse. I was always a fan - then the McLaren thing happened. Nowadays I respect his abilities as a driver, and the way he races, but I could never trust him.
Arent the Red Bull engines supposed to be exactly the same as the works ones.
If so you cant hold your breath!
On BBC - ironic that the video they're showing is Piquet testing.
Why are F1 videos in the news always those of tests? It seems so... random.
bernie won't give anyone rights to use race footage. 24hrs post race is the limit, so by tuesday there is no footage.
unless you're RTL.
...but don't BBC show it on iPlayer? So surely they'd have rights?
not for worldwide distribution. it has to be geolocked.
BBC have unlimited rights to use any F1 footage ever in this country.
But obviously not on BBC world
Ahh.
Haven't had time.
The gist of it was that Benetton was going to blame the FIA, saying they'd been given permission to remove the filter. Max met with Briatore the evening before the hearing and told him not to blame the FIA. It was all then conveniently swept under the carpet.
Et tu Piquet?
EJ on BBC World! Eek!
To be fair, he raised a good point - Renault were supposed to submit their dossier today. They have decided not to do so.
Live from Place de la Concorde:
http://www.pit....php?fes_art_id=39027
Paul, Ron, Flav... Bibendum?!
The joke clearly goes over my head.
What on earth does "Crazy Dave mud skiing" have to do with F1?
That site has gone downhill very quickly
Indeed. Very few people go there now...
I would have just linked to the picture but they will insist upon making you go through the code..
They have accepted the findings of the FIA (will not contest the complaints). I am absolutely reeling from this - there are so many aspects to considered. Is it safe for the team to go to Malaysia - could they not fall under some law for criminal activity and be arrested? Will the FIA change its rules on closure of results at theend of the season or Alonso's record of wins have an asterisk? More particularly could the Piquets go even further with endangering the life of Junior as an issue with the company? What about bookmakers with Alonso's winning with outside odds?
I might be one of the few people, but I cannot help feeling very sorry for Nelson Junior. I still think it is bit scary to be more scared of your bosses to say NO than to have an accident in a car. What sort of emotional pressure where they bringing to bare? Will other teams not demand the prize money back from Renault with this rigged victory worth about 30 million?
Max said results will not change. All for the best, I think.
It depends. I think the team is safe, but Flav and Pat aren't.
That's a very good point about being able to go to Malaysia. Who would they arrest though? Presumably Carlos Ghosn won't go.
For me, Alonso has to lose that win with the other places remaining as they were.
I agree, it will be interesting to see if he sues renault. knowing his dad that seems likely.
...of course he could just threaten it and see who ends up in the car next year ;)
Interesting about alonso and asterisks... That should be a question for joe!
http://joesawa...briatore-and-symonds/
You can drop a q there.
Actually, I agree. I expect to be in the minority though. :-)
Joe also mentions that Flav's stake in QPR may be in danger because of this.
Joe Saward's blog makes some interesting point about Flav and QPR, and about possible claims for compensation:
http://joesaward.wordpress.com/
As for Simmons, in interviews he always came across as a decent and level headed engineer. I know Flav will duck and dive and be ok, but Simmons ...
He'd probably be happy to get out!
Indeed...
I feel for the poor guy - the interviews clearly indicated a lot of conflict (loyalty to company but not lying). I suspect he was genuinely worried about the rest of the team. I am not sure will Flavio still proceed with criminal charges against the Piquets? His integrity must be seriously challenged!
Bibendum! Mean.
If Renault leave where will Grosjean go?
why they can't go to Malaysia ? what has this case to do with malaysia ?
Counter 4?
He meant Singapore.
:D Seriously, he can go be someone's 3rd driver to claw his way to a race drive.
It's that place formerly called Singapore which has now changed its name to erase the memory of its first GP.
(oops)
My mistake sorry I meant Singapore - huge apologies !
I was just reading through this (thanks Kathi). All I can say is... stunned.
Oh yes... I copied your mistake. I'm shifting all responsibility your way ;-)
Well it used to be the same country :D
It is completely my mistake - the neural network short circuited. I have Malaysia fix what with their new team for next year. I do think the FIA is going to need a guarantee of safety for the Renault Team from the government.
I even feel sorry for Pat Symonds and am guessing that he was not prepared to falsify his testimony (unlike his boss) that precipitated Renault falling on their sword yet again.
I think what you really want to do is Blame Steven.
I blame myself OK, anyway I feel for the team though and a little for little junior.
According to my football peeps apparently the rule about if Flav is an okay person to run a football club only matters when he tries to buy the club not subsequently. So he'll be fine at QPR.
But I thought Thaksin got kicked out of Man City using the exact same rule?
Same here. Read the first 5 or 6 pages, and wow.
I don't think he got kicked out: http://www.blo...M9gkEXWQ&refer=uk
Interesting. WIll Flav sell his stake in the team to Bernie now?
I'm still in shock.
Not just because Flav is such a huge personality in F1 and he is now gone forever, but also that these muppets thought that they could get away with it. Surely they knew that secrets are NEVER kept in any sport. Especially a sport where autobiographies are so prevalent.
The FIA were their usual selves and hadn't an inkling of proof that a result had been manufactured - well done Max, great leadership. Shame to see you go.
And Nelson Piquet Jr, what is his punishment going to be? He willfully crashed his vehicle, causing danger to spectators and officials alike, and then kept quiet about it all until it was in his favour to tell the truth.
It'll be interesting to see what happens next.
Judging by the standard of most club owners these days, he will be welcomed with open arms now I reckon...
The point is he doesn't have to sell his stake. He could but he doesn't have to.
My football corrospondent suggested it was similar to Monopoly. If you are in jail you can still collect money from rent on your properties :)
Indeed, but there may now be pressure on him to do so...
He gets immunity I believe. Even though he agreed to such a thing, he is immune.
Well Done Max, Bravo.
Immune... at the FIA. But he won't be immune in any other court. So he's not scot-free yet.
this is funny:
@jamesallenonf1 - #f1 Apologies to readers of jamesallenonf1.com, due to high traffic volumes site has crashed. Should be back shortly.
reply from 5LiveF1
@Jamesallenonf1 was Piquet driving it?
I would wager that Pat Symonds does also. TBH whoever is involved in this should be banned for life I reckon!
When you've become a running joke, you know you were awful.
PK Jr is probably even worse than Michael Andretti now. Both sons of World Champions.
He was obviously under immense pressure from the team - he crashed to help the team to score points but eventually came clean (sure it was not altruistic). Lewis lied which led to disqualification of a competitor to improve his position (also race fixing) and only came clean when there was too much evidence to the contrary and then put the blame on another person. Neither drivers are moral compasses though.
Its a premier leauge rule to stop takeovers by dodgy people, in the event QPR do go there i doubt they could take action over a previous owner.
If criminal charges are brought against him, then maybe.
Good.
The other two are worse, but agreeing to this, without first even remotely considering the worst case scenario (Personal Injury, Competitor Injury, or Spectator/Steward Injury) is bad.
On the other hand, it was race day, and he says he was in a fragile state of mind.
James said Pat didn't accept the offer
...what?!
Symonds was offered immunity from prosecution in return for evidence which would convict Briatore, but chose not to take that route, instead falling on his sword and staying loyal to his long time colleague.
Wow. I guess Briatore is ensuring he is secure in retirement.
Either way, he's guilty and banned, or he gets immunity, confesses and his reputation is ruined. May as well resign (Renault probably gave him a financial incentive too) and take an early retirement...
He doesn't actually say he found that out...
It might have been pats decision to take the immunity and resignation which triggered flav going
I
But if JA says it like that, surely it means he found out?
So I take it that the lawsuit againist the Piquet's is going to be dropped.
What a disaster. I will be suprised if Renault is on the grid next year after all this.
Something I've been thinking of. If Flavio and Pat are found guilty, doesn't that mean that Piquet Jr.'s punishment should be equal or worse even if he was the whistle blower.
To put it in mob terms: Flavio and Pat may have order the hit, however it was Piquet's decision to pulled the trigger. Just because you were ordered to do something illigal by your bosses doesn't mean you have to carry it out. I can see all three getting a life time ban from the paddock.
He normally makes a big deal out of it if he has spoken to someone or when he has found something else.
A bit of prose like that doesn't fit with his style, i think its speculation...
In theory, yes, but Piquet has been granted immunity, so in reality, he won't be punished.
But that's the WMSC. A real court is another matter...
There wouldnt have been a case without his evidence though, so immunity was key...
But if JA is unsure, surely he'd be more careful with what he says, lest someone take him up on it?
What if they threaten to burn your house down and set you up with the police...
I kinda want to see PK come back now just to annoy the people who have such high opinions of their own opinions in the paddock...
Surely if Piquet really wanted to tell on them he'd have done so the moment it was brought up?
Of course... But he didnt want to do that, he wanted to keep his drive.
Besides, no one would have believed him. The paddock would label him a troublemaker and a liar and he would be without a drive and Flav&Pat would have got off scott free.
Flav's gone? Oh dear, how sad, never mind
:)
So the question is... who will Renault turn to now? No Flav, no Pat, and no Alonso plus add in the shaky management and sponsorship deals becoming harder to come by.
Whoever takes over this team is going to be in for a really rough ride.
I forgot they need a sponsor... Oh dear. All these new teams taking up deals as well...
Rumors are pointing to Alain Prost.
Not a good sign.
Well, f1scoop on Twitter is saying David Richards may also play a part. For Renault's sake, I hope that's true.
I'm really going now... :D
I think the team will be sold and rebranded once the dust has settled.
The flav and pat symonds going is a smart move. means they can't testify. then next year they can get rehired ;)
also, do we really think Piquet can crash when told to do so? the guy couldn't finish when he was being told to.
...if they're not banned. chances are, they will be.
That is an interesting thought? He isone person that could get the team back onto its feet. I am interested in Alonso, are Ferrari still interested in him?
He didn't do bad when he was running Mugen Honda engines, and Trulli was leading the race in Austria.
It was the Peugeot side the following year. that appeared to let him down
on behalf of Scott W and I, we object this term ;)
:P
There is a certain irony if Richards takes over - last time Flav left in 1998, it was DR who took over at Benetton.
Ferrari will always be interested in Alonso for 2010, I think.
I think it will be a pre-requisite for the Santander Deal.
ooh that good is it? i was kind of thinking that some lacky will take the fall as per other events, eg mclaren.
But wasn't the 1997 car Ligier-designed? When it was fully his show, he fumbled.
That may not be a bad idea. His own team was a disaster but that was due to outside forces. Because his team was in France Peugeot and Michelin got the French government to put pressure on him to use their products as this was Team France. We all know how bad the Peugeot engine was. Prost running a team in England would be an entirley different proposition.
He did a good job before.
that was pat's role, but it didn't work as well as mclaren's plan, i guess.
They personally haven't admitted anything so I expect them to be called anyway. They are both likely to get punished anyway.
If you look at his earlier record it was seriously impressive. I wonder if he were teamed to a Mario Thiessen or Peter Sauber whether he would have been so poor. He had a lot of expectations and at times he could show some class (overtaking Alonso and Hamilton) and then again he did not crack when he got his second place.
They are also taking up drivers.
I get the feeling that Pat, Flav, and even Piquet Jr will black-balled from for life.
Isn't this Alonso's M.O. Get the team you are with in trouble, them move on to the next.
Think about it. Renault with the j-dampers, Them McLaren with the spygate thingy. Now Renault with fixing a race. Imagine what will happen to Ferrari?
At the weekend Ferrari said he would drive for them one day and he is part of the Santander deal
Ferrari won't get punished, obviously.
Me too in case it is a spelling error
but did they know all this - I think he is a bit tarnished.
There's always a first time ;)
I love how everyone who is a Hamilton fan can say that Fernando knew everything at McLaren's Spygate and yet Hamilton is cleaner than a Sunday Shirt. Like you only had everyone from Ron Dennis down in the Spygate scandel and yet Hamilton is in the clear.... Bull. Hamilton has to know what is going on otherwise Hamilton would assume the McLaren would have been developed to suit Alsonso! Like this thing has only beeen going on for months and Hamilton would not have noticed that Alonso or PDLR where the only drivers developing the car?
Now you have Renault ==> The Team Manager, The Chief Engineer and maybe a driver cook up something to throw the race and you all say that Alonso is up to his eyeballs in it....
Both The Team Manager and Chief Engineer can only tell Alonso what he needs to know for the race (Singapore) and the order of the pit stops. Alonso is not stupid and suspects that something is fishy when told that he is coming in to pit on lap 14. I am also sure that Renault took a hard line with Alonso and told him to "come in on Lap 14 or run out of gas on on Lap 15 - You are only getting 14 Laps worth of fuel" when Alsono complained. Who knows maybe Jean was pulled in for a last minute substition. If you think that a team is bonkers enought to force their number one driver from running a race well that choice is sane compared to ordering one of their drivers into the wall.
That Alonso SUSPETED something is a given. That Alonso KNEW that the races was going to be thrown that's a joke. Somebody would have to have told him that PK was going crash into the wall after Alonso pitted, and why tell Alonso this when it is just as easy to Alonso to stuff it or mind is own business of thigns liek that?
...even with Todt in power?
Just remember Alonso came even earlier that needed (he still had two laps worth of petrol). Alonso must have suspected the crash was arranged and kept quiet. I am fairly sure for his own good he did not actually know the details. He is still a bit tarnished though - well at least one of his victories can be discounted.
Because he is not going to accept an insane fuel load without a good reason.
There is a difference between Alonso as an established number one in a team wrapped round him and Hamilton as a raw rookie
one journo was saying this afternoon that they may not be able to be called now they have resigned. not sure if that's true - i'm not quite following much news today.
gotta run. there's a world outside and for a change today, it's not storming :)
The FIA has no jurisdiction to call them to the meeting as they are no longer part of the team - Macca did the same earlier this year.
Is it just me where Alonso is the new M****** Sch*********r where he pretends to be the isle of calm and proclaim innocence's while in fact he is working with the team to bend every rule and try anything in his power to come out on top. Even if that means fixing a race or breaking the rules.
This realization pains me because I like Alonso. I loved the way he nailed Sch********r for those two years, However, a similar and definite trend is developing with Alonso's employers.
((Sorry for using "his" name.")
i
Clearly back to McLaren next ;)
I'm not here, just found out...
Stunned, but not surprised
I'm still laughing. Whenever someone mentioned it in work I laughed. I'm so pleased he's gone!!
Lots of after effect will be caused by Flav is gone. Flav. is. Gone. God I can say that so many times and it never gets old.
*Puts on collard shirt*
May i plug? ;)
I ave done a post on the possible outcomes of the hearing next Monday on all those involved...
http://f1rundown.wordpress.com/
I am intrigued how so many people think Piquet should be banned for racing for life looking at other comments on other blogs. I think back to Senna who deliberately crashed into Prost to win a World Championship - but I guess that does not count as race fixing since he did this himself and was not ordered by his team to do so. This was at a time when cars had far less safety so the risks of injury were significantly higher.
If we banned a driver for life for being a whistle-blower - I guess no driver will ever admit to issues so we will have a "cleaner" sport.
That is a very good point.
I think its going to be very difficult for him to get back into the sport, but i dont belive he should be banned...
But then again, i also think he is a good driver...
i think piquet should be banned for being a laughing stock of incompetence behind the wheel.
Oh yes, Please comment! ;)
:D
Oh my word, I go to work, deal with boring crap and somewhere in this world all this is happening. Wow, I have a lot of catching up and reading to do after I have eaten...
Would Grosjean taking over your seat be a good enough reason for Alonso to go out with an insane fuel load? We are taking about a team management that is already prepared to have one of its drivers to crash into a wall now...
That's a laugh. McLaren was never wrapped around Alonso. That was the problem that got McLaren wrapped up in that mess in the first place. If anything McLaren was wrapped up around Hamilton because Dennis knew him for the past what 10 years? It was rather nice of Dennis to let Coulthard and Hakkinen develop the car for three years so that Hamilton would have a decent car under his belt on Hamilton's debut....
I don't think Alonso can have it all ways...
Either he is the "complete driver" with input on and understanding of his race strategy and fuel or he is someone who does as he is told and trusts everything his engineers say even if it looks mad and totally unlikely to get anywhere near the points...
And given his recent profession of help and support to Grosjean... surely if he is the steady helpful elder driver to his young team mates Piquet would have wanted to discuss the whole thing with him before or after the event.... but then perhaps they were hardly on speaking terms....
Sorry people, the guy can't have it all ways.... although I expect he will....
"It also remains to be seen what happens to the criminal proceedings commenced in France on Friday against Piquet Jnr and Nelson Piquet Senior concerning the making of false allegations and a related attempt to blackmail."
Can we consider the Piquet's to have made false allergations?
Well the allegations were not false but.... it was blackmail...
Possibly, but it would have been much easier to prove it had he gone to the courts at the time he was a victim of it, rather than tying to prove it now with very little apparent evidence...
Can still blackmail on the basis of the bad press if they were false
The problem is, Flavio doesn't seem to have heard about the blackmail idea until AFTER piquet went to the FIA - what sort of blackmail is that?
Perhaps it was Orange mail? (on ing renault paper ;) )
Blog from James Allen saying leaked documents say Alonso was not aware. I think this quote is the most interesting is "the Stewards do not conclude that individuals at Renault other than NPJ (Piquet), Mr Symonds and possibly Mr Briatore were aware of any crash plan."
Link to James Allen's blog
Hmmm....
Why am I not surprised...
So that means Alonso does as the team suggests, however stupid....
Looks like James didn't like my question about whether he knew for sure that symonds hadn't taken immunity...
removed or ignored?
What did he say?
Ignored...
boo. although it may just mean he can't answer right now?
Possibly, but I guess that means he doesn't know... Sloppy journalism
Me thinks this to be a bit naive. I always thought Fernando was more engaged with the tactics of the team - I find this dissapointing that he does just what the team suggests.
haha, I just signed up for Fantasy Racers as well, and there are two teams at the bottom referencing Mr. C (Janna's and one other)
From James Allen's blog, where a question was asked about Alonso's knowledge of the 'plot'
Whoops, the end was cut off... sorry!
Last sentence should read: "You can see from his reaction in the green room before the podium that he recognises that the safety car gave him the race.
"
Before I go to bed - a quick thought why was OK for Senna to deliberately crash into his nearest competitor (Prost) to secure his World Championship at a time when cars were not as safe but for Nelson Piquet to be banned for life (as many people want) because he obeyed "team" orders to crash into a wall to give his team mate a chance for victory.
Being a bit of a devils advocate here but if Lewis gets a one race DSQ for obeying team orders shouldn't Piquet's punishment be similar?
Not everyone thinks that was ok - you'll find some who thought senna should have been banned for life
Hard to DSQ him from a race he never finished
Easy.
Because the Corrupt French former head of the FIA changed the sides of the grid over after qualifying so that Prost had an advantage, even though Senna got pole.
It's not OK, but it was going to happen with those two.
Personally I was one of them - I was outraged at the time. However, those are the exceptions and most people say he was one of the greatest drivers ever.
Forgot that bit - F1 really has not changed - probably never will.
True. I didn't articulate myself very well there. What I meant was that Piquet should get a similarly small penalty.
Do you think he should be allowed to drive an F1 car again? The reality is he will not unless his father buys him a seat/team.
Maybe, but the whole thing was exposed because of him. In lewis case it was the stewards who worked it out...
I don't think any teams would have signed him up anyway, regardless of what happened in Singapore - none of the teams rated him
Piquet or Piquet senior had a reason to expose - not even I believe it was in the interest of fair play.
Me and Nick will sign him up into our team ;), but we'll ban Piquet Sn
You have a point.
Here is a question: What is the difference in throwing a race by crashing so that your team mate wins, and lying to the stewards to get your rival DSQ'd so you can gain a place?
but you have new teams - who are looking for drivers and possibly some cash? Is he a worse driver than Badoer or Kaz?
Why not, maybe I see things in black and white but if what he did was follow team orders (like Lewis) why should he be made to suffer a greater penalty for it? They both did wrong but both were young drivers who felt pressurised by their teams to do what they were told.
That doesn't mean I think any team boss would want him now but I feel that he shouldn't be singled out for unfiar punishment in view of the comparisons with the McLaren thing
I have been thinking this myself. Having the two nasty (one of which was fatal) reminds us of the dangers so I think it would not be considered now irrespective of the Singapore race as being just too dangerous.
None, they both were wrong.
at least there are people that have the same feelings.
Hamilton's lies were unlikely to injure spectators, other drivers or marshalls
Same amount of wrongness?
What do you want me to say? He didn't crash so Alonso would win (that had a large dose of luck to do with it) he crashed to give Alonso an advantage. No-one was hurt, fortunately. Lewis on the other hand wanted to get extra points by having someone unfairly disqualified. Is that any more honourable? .. I don't think so. I think they were both equally stupid or gullable or whatevet you want to call it. I think there are strong similarities between the two scenario's
But Piquet's got immunity so does it matter?
I just wanted your opinion - FWIW I think you are onto something here...
If you want to put numbers on it, Hamilton only effected Trulli, Piquet cost several drivers points
From a safety point of view, they're incomparable
There was a heavy degree of premeditation and planning with Piquet too
That is true. And you could argue that McLaren were paranoid, made a bad choice in the heat of the moment and tried to keep up a lie that they couldn't back out of...
Just found this quote attached to Alonso saying...
"I did think about running a one-stop strategy,” Alonso said, “but all that fuel weight would have been too punishing for the brakes because there are no long straights here to keep them cool. Instead I chose a short, aggressive first stint and just waited to see what would happen"
http://www.tim..._1/article6837681.ece
Does not quite agree with Alonso saying the engineers decided his strategy for Singapore.
You should send that to James Allen
I think I will - but actually credit timesonline for finding this.
So what would be a fair penalty (if there were a penalty, but since he's got immunity there won't be) for the crash?
Who knows, what does F1 care about precedent?
Definitely. James why does Fernando disagree with you and why are you trying so hard to make him uninvolved?
It doesn't but surely there should be transparency in rulings and at least some form of commonality of sentence?
Post the link on his blog
He knew what was going on. How does a guy be at the heart of two cheating scandals and yet nothing sticks to him?
Why are you trying so hard to make him involved? :-)
Because it seems illogical that a driver would just accept a wacky strategy like that - there's no way it would have worked otherwise...
World Championships are worth more than fame and glory you know.
The FIA found no evidence to support that
The FIA havent told you that they have, theres a difference
Irvine ended up with a 4 race ban once for appealing a two race ban he got for causing an accident. Which was complete bull as it wasn't his fault. If you can get that kind of ban for that then you need a far mre severe ban for planning to have an accident. Of course Schumacher got a world championship for taking out Hill as Prost and Senna did before him but Schumacher was hammered by losing his vice-championship for hitting Villeneuve by instinct.
The lesson seems to be that it is far better to deliberately have an accident that to negligently or supposedly negligently have one.
What about Kimi and the wet tyres on a dry track earlier thais season .. that was whacky, why did he accept that?
They weren't looking - once Max knew he could get Flav, he didn't worry about anything else.
I just find it hard to accept that the team went to great lengths to put Alonso in this position and yet did not tell him? What if he had blown it because he did not know?
I think you make an argument for the strategy though.
I just worry about many members of the F1 media,
Because Ferrari are Italian and therefore are supposed to meltdown.
I don't know - you put Symonds, Alonso et. al. in a room and you don't expect them to roll the dice like that...
What do you mean? Can you elaborate?
I thought it was an odd story to write about when I saw it to be honest. I don't think there is anything to say Alonso wasn't involved any more than there is to say that he was.
That was during the race and he was relying on people who had access to information he was unable to look at, quite different to selecting a strategy with your race engineer before the race
It's also spur of the moment - you would assume Renault use a whole evening to think of a strategy...
Want to hear my theory - pure speculation ... Alonso was talking to young Piquet and came up with the idea of a short fuel strategy and Piquet crashing at the appropriate time. Junior then took the idea to Pat as possibly his own. The Team agreed to the plan. Alonso said he would help Piquet by putting a good word in - remember he was always rather supportive of Piquet's ham-fisted attempts at driving an F1 car.
A yes but that was meant as an example of a whacky strategy. I was just showing that whacky can work, it doesn't have to be done because of deception.
Just woke up to all this Renault news. I'm totally shocked honestly. I thought they would make some defence, and I really didn't think they had truely planned the crash. This is the end for Pat Symonds.
Pretty much what Allen says, of trying something different. It might not sound a great argument but it's an argument. 'Alonso the Great Engineer' seems to be a dead claim though.
Renault seem to be taking McLaren's "Davey Ryan" defence. Surely they can't get away with this.
I think Piquet would have named Alonso in that case. IF Alonso was involved, it was discussed without Piquet present and probably only with Flavio and Symonds around - it might even be why Renault are keeping them quiet.
Mush as I have disliked some of Alonso's actions in the past, there has been nothing to show he was involved with this latest thing. I think it's unfair to suggest otherwise.
You are probably right but I think the contradictory statements alleged to be made by Alonso need to investigated.
No way, Alonso gave him a helmet! (would be funny if it was the one he won that race in ;) )
I wonder if "espionage" will be considered worse than race fixing and potentially endangering lives. Next Monday is a big day.
Except contradictory statements it was my idea to short fuel and it was the engineers idea to short fuel and I do not question the team see my comment earlier.
You mean the "I chose the strategy..." in the TimesOnline? Old 6 Tenths is always taking too much credit and not giving enough to the team.
OK, I didn't see that. I will look back.
I wonder if the FIA will be considering what he has said?
When you contrast that with the statement on James Allen's blog it was the engineers decision and I do what I am told.
The way everyone is going on about lives being in peril you would think he did a spin tuen on the main straight and headed off round the circuit the wrong way at full pelt!
It was dangerous, but he did it in such a way that it wasnt in the firing line, it could have been a lot lot worse.
I think the truth is somewhere in the middle but leaning heavily towards the experts. Did you believe the 6 tenths claim?
The man could never lie!
It wasn't that controlled. I don't think he would have really want to ricochet across the track like that.
No it would make this year's Renault slower than a Toro Rosso.
That really doesn't matter. Car crashes can go bad very quickly. None of these people should be allowed into motor racing again.
True, but he didnt park it in a heavy breaking zone at the end of a major straight.
I am not denying it was dangerous, rather that it seems to be being exaggerated somewhat
No more than I believe he didn't know of the plan for Piquet to crash
He clearly stayed on the throttle when he lost rear grip. There was only one place he was going. His near identical spin on the warm up lap says that was the plan
I agree with you on this one, also people had got into a false security about the safety of F1 cars and then this year's freak accidents - so it seems worse than it really was perceived at the time.
Maybe, but then you open up the prospect of even more dangerous things going on which will never be found out about. Whistleblowers are essential, and they arent going to reveal something if it will destroy their careers and lives.
I agree Flav and Pat should be hit as hard as possible, and i dont think giving immunity to Pat was ever a sensible idea. But much like we saw how they should shut down Phillip Island for being too dangerous, it just wont happen.
I love those CFD colours
Can't argue with that after last weekend.
I agree which is why you have to respect whistle blowers promised immunity if nothing else.
I don't think anyone is going to touch him again anyway.
Honestly I think Senna should have been banned after his effort in Japan 1990 too. It shows complete disregard for other drivers.
I missed this what is the issue of the track?
Are you in a club that could send a letter?
Gavin posted it here last night, looked terrifying, i couldnt find any mention of an investigation, penalty or modifications in a news search...
don't worry could not find anything on the Internet - but the main drag is seriously fast with superbikes hitting 325 km/h
I'm pretty sure they mentioned on the telecast that there will be an investigation. Not really sure what they can do, short of removing the loop of the track (turn 2).
http://www.you...m/watch?v=nm4CuWYarOE
:(
Isnt he the guy who does the F1 show as well..
The problem is the loop that goes out-and-back after that, which is downhill. A car kept going after the straight, and ended up shooting across the track further on. Could have been very nasty
Yep, that's him. Cam McConville
Thanks for the link - take some time to download, but here in SA carrier pigeons are faster than the Internet.
Has Simon Barnes gone a little bit to far with this headline?
Im not saying he hasnt, but its a pretty big claim
I'd agree with that i think,
Clearly he has never heard of Senna or Schumacher
Worse than performance enhancing drugs where years of success goes unchecked and Gold Medals earned?
:)
Clearly.
It's not even the worst deliberate crash.
Thing is, they probably cooked up most of their plots themselves. I don't think this was Nelson's idea.....
Oooh wait. I read headline again, it dosent say in THE sport, it says in Sport.
I be quiet now :)
I think this is correctamundo
Senna certainly did and told everyone the day before he was going to do it. Schumacher I am not so convinced about
You are joking right? Schumacher's two worst ones seemed pretty much spur of the moment stuff during a race!
I don't think anyone could have had so many spur of the moment crashes in 10 careers. He rammed Hakkinen at Macau in F3 and I have lost count of the number of times he drove into someone or pushed someone into the pitwall or off the track in F1. I expect if the radio was was available that we would find out on more than one occasion he was told to do it.
Is the hearing still on next week?
You don't think he just has the attitude "if you can't beat 'em, ram 'em off the road"?
You'd have to really wouldn't you. I don't think he feels any remorse.... He certainly didn't act like he was sorry at any rate.
He definitely has that bu I don't believe every single time it happened it was a knee jerk reaction that had not been considered beforehand.
Choosing yourself to drive into someone seems to me totally different from getting your teammate to do it though (I'm not suggesting this is what Alonso did.....)
Woah!
Andrew Benson seems to have found an awesome photo of Flav and bernie for his blog
That needs a caption of "Oh....... bugger!"
Apparently, it's too late
Last year's results can't be changed once published at the end of the year
Ah, got it. I hope you're joking about the Luca to USF1, though I would rather have him than Marco Andretti
No but i am sure he will get an asterisk next to his win tally...
Just speculating. Nothing in F1 suprises me any more though I would raise one eyebrow at that! :)
Quite possibly
He may not be allowed to race if it turns out he knew about the Nelsinho Defence
[As it shall be known, thanks Alia]
It sounds like a chess move!
Yeah, kind of like the steroids in baseball.
It really does
Er... i havent heard this one before
Quoting from AB
"And the mystery surrounding his origins was heightened when a bomb went off outside his London home in 1993, something which has never been satisfactorily explained."
He also suggests that the Renault withdrawal speculation has been fuelled by Max....
That's an odd sentance to drop into a blog and do nothing with
Sloppy
Looking at the Leaks... the only think we havent really had yet are the audio recordings of the FIA interviews at spa...
Can someone tell me what Renault were being blackmailed about? i.e will they still go ahead with it, now that its clear that it's all true?
Blackmail is still blackmail regardless of if actually isn't true. Basically it means you are saying I'll tell the world this happened unless you do this for me.
Fair enough. So the piquets will still find themselves up a creek without a proverbial
Could be. 7 years in prison is the maximum sentence.
I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, that it was Flav personally that brought the action, not the Renault team.
BBC thinks Briatore will have to step down as Majority owner of QPR if he gets banned by the FIA - as he fails the "Fit and Proper Persons Test".
Oh dear. That's really bad news for the club too :(
Looking at the definition of blackmail on wikipedia i am unsure if PK senior was guilty of it
a- because it was a criminal act
b- because he wasnt demanding money, he was trying to avoid a termination of employment...
I do not think we will hear any more of this. Certainly Nelson Piquet senior was putting some pressure. Personally I hope Nelson gets a second F1 chance at some point, it is not a popular view, probably because hew so unsuccessful on the track.
If flav has reported Blackmail though it is out of his hands as the police and public prosecutors investigate...
It is the decision of the public prosecution, but having fallen on his sword would weak and already weak case. There were those leaked letters but they do more damage to Flavio's case because he contests there was no crash and his employers have admitted there cannot defend themselves. I think it could go away. Flavio must be in hotter water than Piquet senior. While little junior said Briatore was his executioner - me thinks the little on has rather executed his former boss.
Hehehe Very true!
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