Renault has fired Formula One team principal Flavio Briatore, shown, and engineering director Pat Symonds. It won't defend against charges the team ordered Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
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Renault fires Formula One team leaders, won't defend against race 'fixing' charges
By Quentin Spurring | 09/16/09, 8:30 am et
Renault has fired Formula One team principal Flavio Briatore and engineering director Pat Symonds, and says it will offer no defense to the allegation it "fixed" the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix by ordering Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash. Renault is set to appear at a hearing before the World Motor Sport Council on Monday.
Briatore and Symonds stand accused of asking Piquet to crash deliberately early in the race to bring out the safety car, which enabled teammate Fernando Alonso to move to the head of the field. Alonso went on to win the race.
Renault's decision to admit the guilt of its wholly owned team, and to fire two of the best-known personalities in Formula One, will not cause the FIA to cancel the hearing.
