"Briatore Embroiled in F1 Scandal"

[QPR Report]

Vital Football QPR - "Briatore Embroiled in F1 Scandal"
www.qpr.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=168762

[QPR Report]

And the previously-posted stories
qprreport.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=6390

[Bushman]

Briatore, Berlusconi it's all the same.

[QPR Report]

Motor Sports

Massa confronted Briatore about Piquet crash
Racing series F1
Date 2009-09-03

By Motorsport.com/GMM

Felipe Massa suspected Nelson Piquet crashed deliberately at Singapore last year and confronted Flavio Briatore about the incident in person, it has emerged.

It had been presumed in recent days that the source of the accusation must have been Piquet and his famous father, still furious after being recently ousted by Renault boss Briatore.

But reports this week suggest that Brazilian Massa, who drives for Ferrari, immediately suspected that Piquet had been asked to crash on purpose so that the safety car would emerge and the sister Renault of Fernando Alonso win the race.

"He crashed in a very strange way," TV Globo commentator Reginaldo Leme is quoted as saying.

"It struck me when I was talking recently with Felipe Massa. Felipe had gone to Briatore and said, 'This crash was not right, it happened because you wanted it to'."

Leme also said other drivers had been suspicious of the Piquet crash.

Massa had led comfortably from pole position in Singapore last September until the Alonso safety car, but when he made his pitstop he then famously drove away with the fuel hose still attached.

Now recovering from injury, Ferrari's Massa lost the 2008 world championship to Lewis Hamilton by a single point.

www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=343514&FS=F1

[Zamoraaaah]

The plot thickens...

[QPR Report]

I don't know. It seems a little too dangerous to do. And a little too extreme

[cpr]

I discovered a long time ago that dragging a petrol pump behind you slows you down a lot.

For his own mistakes I feel sorry for Massa but Piquet was treated a lot worse.

Neither of them will have to sell their homes in Monaco.

[QPR Report]

FIA pencil in date for Renault 'crashgate' hearing
Thursday, 03 Sep 2009 10:46

Renault could face expulsion from formula one By Adam Leveridge

The FIA will decide by the end of the week whether or not to convene a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) to discuss the investigation surrounding Nelson Piquet's crash in last year's inaugural Singapore night race.

According to the Spanish newspaper Diario AS, the sport's governing body are currently examining the evidence relating to the allegations made by an anonymous source to a Brazilian television network.

It is believed that the FIA has pencilled in a possible hearing on September 21st, which is just before formula one heads to Singapore.

A number of senior team members, including Flavio Briatore, Pat Symonds and Fernando Alonso, are said to have been interviewed over the Belgian grand prix weekend and that some information from these interviews has been taken away for analysis.

If Renault are found to have cheated they will face serious charges and could even be expelled from F1 at the end of the year. www.inthenews.co.uk/sports/sports/sport/general-sport/fia-pencil-in-date-for-renault-crashgate-hearing-$1324290.htm

[QPR Report]

Grand Prix.com

A World Council for the Renault case?

It is expected that the FIA will soon announce an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council to be held later this month to discuss the allegations that Renault F1 fixed the 2008 Singapore GP by ordering second driver Nelson Piquet to crash at a certain point to bring out a Safety Car and by doing so put team-mate Fernando Alonso into a position to win the race. There is speculation that this will happen on September 21.

There has been an FIA investigation going on for several weeks. This is believed to have been started after Nelson Piquet was fired by the team at the start of August. All the indications are that he made claims to the federation. This is not yet confirmed but it is the only logical explanation for the timing of the scandal. Whatever Piquet told (or gave) the FIA was sufficiently convincing for the federation to have to take action. The scandal is certainly not what is needed in F1 at the current moment but, on the other hand, if the allegations are proven, it will ultimately be a positive thing for F1 as the FIA will be seen to be taking action against people who are capable of levels of dishonesty that one does not want to see in any sport.

If there is sufficient evidence for the FIA to conclude that there needs to be punishment for those involved, the future of the team must be called into question. It is unlikely that anyone outside the race team would have known anything about what was going on in Singapore and so the World Council must decide whether the company should be punished or whether it is sufficient to deal with the individuals involved. There is nowadays a rule of collective responsibility (Article 123 of the Sporting Code) and an argument that Renault should be punished for simply employing such people, but at the same time it is clearly not in the best interests of the sport to lose another team from F1. From a pragmatic point of view it would be best to clear out the bad apples and leave the team in one piece.

There is no doubt that the man in the firing line is Flavio Briatore and if Piquet's "reward" for being involved was to keep his drive in 2009 (or perhaps one might say his reward was not be fired) there is only one man in the team who could have made such an arrangement. Having said that, there must have been quite a number of others involved because the strategy adopted by Alonso made very little sense - and they must have known that.

It is clear that engineers can attempt to justify any strategy by claiming that it was formulated on the basis that there might be a Safety Car at a given point in the race. However Alonso's strategy required a crash between his pit stop and those of the other teams, which was extremely unlikely to happen given such a small window of opportunity. The fact that it did happen and that it was Alonso's team-mate who crashed is suspicious - and that was recognised as such at the time by people up and down the pitlane. There are reports that Felipe Massa was so irritated by what happened that he even confronted Briatore.

Suspicion is one thing, evidence quite another and while data, radio exchanges, the timing of radio exchanges and statements made may point to a conspiracy to fix the race, proving that is another matter. That will require some form of solid evidence such as a letter, an email or a text message or perhaps a tape recording of a conversation. If such a thing exists then there will be no argument.

Article 151c of the FIA International Sporting Code rules that "any fraudulent conduct or any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition or to the interests of motor sport generally" shall be subject to a penalty. The penalties range from reprimands, through fines and time penalties to disqualifications, exclusions and suspensions. Whatever happens it will not affect the outcome of the 2008 World Championship.


www.grandprix.com/ns/ns21788.html

[QPR Report]

And continuing...

Autosport/Jonathan Noble - Renault summoned by FIA's WMSC

Renault has been summoned to appear before an extraordinary hearing of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council later this month to answer charges that it caused a deliberate crash in last year's Singapore GP.

The team's representative have been asked to appear at the hearing, which takes place in Paris on September 21, to respond to claims that Nelson Piquet's crash in the night race was intentional - with the aim of helping team-mate Fernando Alonso win.

After it was revealed last weekend that the FIA was investigating the events that took place in Singapore, following the emergence of fresh evidence, the FIA confirmed on Friday that it believed there was a case to be answered.

In a statement the FIA said: "Representatives of ING Renault F1 have been requested to appear before an extraordinary meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Monday, 21 September 2009.

"The team representatives have been called to answer charges, including a breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code, that the team conspired with its driver, Nelson Piquet Jr, to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix with the aim of causing the deployment of the safety car to the advantage of its other driver, Fernando Alonso."

Article 151c is the standard disrepute charge, which can result in any severity of punishment, ranging from reprimands and fines through to race bans and exclusion from the world championship.

It states an offence is: "Any fraudulent conduct or any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition or to the interests of motor sport generally."

Piquet's crash early in the race caused a safety car, and the timing of that was perfect for helping Alonso move to the head of the field despite a very early first stop for fuel.

At the time of the event, Piquet was adamant that the crash had been caused simply by him pushing too hard.

"It was my mistake," said the Brazilian. "We tried two extreme strategies with Fernando quite short and me quite long in the hope of getting a safety car. If I hadn't crashed I would have been lucky with the safety car later in the race because I was very happy.

"We're always scraping the walls, and once you've touched the wall a little too much and lose control that's it."

However, it was fresh evidence that came to light in the last few weeks that forced the FIA to take action - and which has resulted in the WMSC hearing. That evidence has also emerged shortly after Piquet was dropped by Renault, although it is not known if the Brazilian himself was a catalyst for the investigation.

Renault issued a statement on Friday night stating that it would not be making any comment about the situation prior to the FIA court hearing.

"The ING Renault F1 Team acknowledges the FIA's request for representatives of the team to appear before the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on the 21st of September 2009," it said. "Before attending the hearing, the team will not make any further comment."
www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78321

[cpr]

What's the Italian for Arfa Daley?

Flavio Briatore it would seem.

Sorry Flav and fans but that's the way it seems. How did he get off those charges in Italy? As BushMan says, Berlusconi and he would appear to be one and the same.


That's why I like them both.




Just felt an Inghamesque last line was required there, with apologies to Ingham, obviously.

[QPR Report]

As I posted in another thread, Berlusconi may be selling up (out) to Khaddafi....So he could take his money and team up/buy into QPR!

[QPR Report]

Daily Mail -
Renault in the dock: Flavio Briatore faces allegations of fixing last season's Singapore Grand Prix By Jonathan McEvoy

Formula One faces its most serious day in the dock after Renault were last night charged with fixing the result of last season's Singapore Grand Prix.

The tarnished sport's governing body, the FIA, referred their investigation to the World Motor Sport Council, who are empowered to throw the French manufacturers out of the championship if they find them guilty at their hearing on September 21.

The FIA issued a statement saying: 'Renault representatives have been called to answer charges, including a breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code (relating to bringing the sport into disrepute), that the team conspired with its driver, Nelson Piquet Jnr, to cause a deliberate crash with the aim of causing the deployment of the safety car to the advantage of its other driver, Fernando Alonso.'

Even for a sport damaged by political infighting, as well as spying scandals involving McLaren and Renault, the seriousness of this case is of a different order.

If Piquet was instructed to drive into the wall on lap 14 of the night race last September, he would not only have been endangering himself but potentially risking the safety of spectators, marshals and fellow drivers. The implications are immense.

As a result, the FIA have treated the incident with utmost seriousness, conducting interviews with Renault staff, including team principal Flavio Briatore, and studying technical data, since Piquet made the allegations after being sacked by Renault last month. At the time, the Brazilian called Briatore 'my executioner'.

Renault have not yet commented on the accusations, which, if proven, would almost certainly result in Briatore's departure from the sport. Many believe Renault's participation in grand prix racing would also come to an end.

F1's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone, a business partner of Briatore, put a positive spin on developments, saying: 'The fact the WMSC have been called does not mean Renault are guilty. It's just to find out what's gone on.' Renault said last night they 'acknowledged' their summons but would 'not make any further comment'.

Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-1211250/Renault-dock-Flavio-Briatore-faces-allegations-fixing-seasons-Singapore-Grand-Prix.html#ixzz0QEC2q2Rk



From Sept 2, Mail
Race-fix claim is so harmful to Formula One, says Bernie Eccleston
By Jonathan McEvoy
In the dark: Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone

Bernie Ecclestone has spoke of the damage caused to Formula One by the 'race-fixing' scandal, which appears certain to cost his business partner Flavio Briatore his job if Renault are found guilty of cheating in last September's Singapore Grand Prix.
Briatore, the Renault team principal, who co-owns QPR football club along with Ecclestone, will learn his fate following an investigation by the FIA, into whether he ordered his driver Nelson Piquet to crash his car to help team-mate Fernando Alonso win the race. He may, however, be pushed by the Renault board sooner.

Ecclestone, F1's commercial supremo, said: 'It is not good for the sport. It all seems very strange to me but I do not know the truth.
'You hear of these things happening with jockeys and in football and it has led to all sorts of trouble.
'People seem to be spending money betting on F1 which is good, but they will not want to do that if they think something is wrong with the result.'

Sportsmail understands from sources close to the FIA that:
* The investigation was launched after Piquet and his father Nelson Piquet Snr, the triple world champion, alleged the Singapore race had been fixed. They decided to blow the whistle several weeks ago, following Piquet Jnr's sacking by Renault.
* The trail could lead all the way up to Briatore, though it is unlikely he could have affected the crash and consequent advantage it brought Alonso without the involvement of one or several senior engineers;
* The FIA will consider whether Alonso was aware of the suspected scam. If so, the double world champion is likely to face a ban.

Renault, who might even by prompted by the furore to quit grand prix racing altogether, last night declined to deny the allegations - more than 24 hours after news of the investigation leaked out.



Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-1210287/Race-fix-claim-harmful-Formula-One-says-Bernie-Ecclestone.html#ixzz0QECdoOM9

[Zamoraaaah]

It's very unusual for Flav to be so tight lipped over this.
I presume he considers it to be a normal racing incident but Renaults corporate wall of silence and the lack of Flavisms in the press would seem to indicate they are very concerned.

[QPR Report]

I don't usally care/don't post re Briatore's personal life; glamour; most of his other business

But it could be of QPR of relevance to the degree that it may have any impact on us. Either Briatore's focus; or Briatore's Renault involvement; or his relationship with Ecclestone, etc.

[Zamoraaaah]

I doubt Flav and Bernie's relationship will be affected regardless of the outcome.
If Flav is absent from the grid next season then he may well pay more attention to us and that could go either way...

[QPR Report]

News of the World/Ian Gordon

FLAVIO BRIATORE BLAMES DRIVER
Renault chief attempts to shift blame for Piquet crash


FLAVIO BRIATORE incredibly tried to blame Brawn GP star Rubens Barrichello for the Crashgate scandal that has landed Renault with a race-fix charge.

The FIA have charged Renault with telling their own driver Nelson Piquet Jr to crash so the safety car would come out, helping their other driver Fernando Alonso.


Piquet smashed into a wall on lap 14 of F1's Singapore Grand Prix last September, forcing the safety car onto the track after which Alonso took the lead and went on to win.


But Renault's multi-millionaire boss Briatore insisted the safety car only came out after Barrichello conked out in his Honda on the next lap.


TV footage shows the safety car was out before Jenson Button's team-mate stopped.


Briatore - co-owner of football club QPR - blamed Barrichello in the immediate aftermath of the incident, which happened in F1's first floodlit night race.


The Italian tycoon was quizzed on Speed TV after Alonso's surprise victory. The interviewer said: "Even Nelson Piquet chipped in. If not for his safety car, Fernando wouldn't have been there."


But Briatore, who had admitted beforehand his team needed a miracle to win, replied: "We don't know. No, because it was Barrichello. The safety car was out for Barrichello.



CRASH - Piquet makes a quick getaway
"The miracle was done by Fernando Alonso and the team because everybody was working very hard for this result and we are very happy."


Renault have been summoned before an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on September 21 and face being booted out of the sport.


Barrichello was just ahead of Piquet when his fellow Brazilian smashed into the wall.


But the race video clearly shows Barrichello was not involved in the incident and was not a factor in the safety car being deployed.


Piquet - sacked by Renault last month for poor results - even admitted that the team wanted a safety car out because Alonso had been short-fuelled.


He said: "The accident was my mistake. We tried two extreme strategies with Fernando quite short and me quite long in the hope of getting a safety car."


Piquet has been ordered by lawyers not to say anything before the Paris hearing when his and Renault's fate will be decided.


But the 24-year-old, unlikely to get another drive in F1, admitted to "strange situations" that season and blasted Briatore as his "executioner".



BRAWN - Rubens Barichello in Valencia
Piquet, who was beaten to the GP2 title by Britain's current F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton in 2006, said: "The conditions I have had to deal with during the last two years have been very strange to say the least.


"There are incidents that I can hardly believe occurred myself. After the opening part of the season, some strange situations began to happen."


Briatore, double world champ Alonso and Renault's technical chief Pat Symonds were all interviewed by FIA officials at last weekend's Belgian GP.


Investigators have also been analysing the telemetry readings from Piquet's car to see if he took the corner on lap 14 differently to previous times.


And they have checked the pit-to-car radio conversations for signs of any coded calls to Piquet. The Sao Paulo-born driver is understood to have been asking which lap he was on in the the run-up to the crash - despite it being so early in the race.


The sport's governing body have also called in Quest, the private intelligence agency, to look into the incident, which could lead to criminal charges and multi-million pound lawsuits.


If Renault are found guilty of ordering Piquet to crash they could be liable to claims by race fans, marshals or fellow drivers for putting their lives at risk.


F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who co-owns QPR with long-time friend Briatore, said: "The WMSC have been called to find out what's gone on. It does not mean Renault are guilty.


"Flavio is insisting that he knows nothing about it.


"But it is not good for the sport.


"People seem to be spending money betting on F1 which is good, but they will not want to do that if they think something is wrong with the result."

www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/489586/Flavio-Briatore-attempts-to-blame-Barichello.html

[cpr]

I believe every word he says.

I do so because I am only a twenty pound punter.

He must be right, he has more money than me.

Like him, I've never told a lie.

[Zamoraaaah]

;D ;D lol