Renault summoned by F1 governing body to explain Singapore crash that helped Alonso to victory

Renault summoned by FIA to explain Singapore crash

PARIS — Renault was summoned by Formula One’s governing body to a hearing into allegations that the team deliberately caused a crash to win a race last season.

The French team was called to appear before the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Sept. 21, FIA said Friday.

The French team is accused of ordering former driver Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash during last year’s Singapore Grand Prix in order to deploy the safety car, which aided teammate Fernando Alonso. The Spanish driver went on to win the race.

Renault could be fined, banned or even excluded from the world championship if found guilty.

The team said it would not be making any comment before attending the hearing.

FIA started the investigation after the claim was made by Brazilian TV station Globo during Sunday’s Belgian GP.

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said earlier this week that Renault and Piquet Jr. would be in serious trouble if the investigation uncovered any type of race-fixing activity. He said the negative publicity might lead Renault to pull out of the sport, following the departures of manufacturers Honda and BMW Sauber.

Piquet Jr. crashed on the 13th lap in Singapore, and Alonso’s gamble of running a short 12-lap strategy before pitting paid off. The Spanish driver secured an unlikely victory as other cars came in to refuel while Alonso had enough fuel to move ahead of the field.

Piquet Jr. said at the time that his crash was a simple mistake.

“We tried two extreme strategies with Fernando quite short and me quite long in the hope of getting a safety car,” Piquet Jr. said after the September race.

Piquet Jr. was fired by Renault last month after 1 1/2 seasons with the team. The Brazilian driver complained about unequal treatment by team principal Flavio Briatore compared to his two-time world champion teammate.