Well I'm here on vacation in the Middle East so this might take a while to hit the U.S. since its only about 7am. Just flipped on BBC here and they interrupted programming for breaking news from Formula 1..... Shit, that never happens in the US.

Anyways, Flavio Briatore just walked out of Renault along with Pat Simonds & Renault are not going to dispute the allegations further.

It's on BBC right now. Looks like the are admitting fault.

Looks like its heating up!

 

From AutoWeek.com:

Renault fires Formula One team leaders, won't defend against 'race fixing' charges

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 F1, will not cause the FIA to cancel the hearing. The governing body wants to know whether anyone else in the team had knowledge of the race-fixing conspiracy, in particular Alonso. In addition, the council will impose a penalty on the team. For its part, Renault will use the opportunity to plead for clemency.

The Renault board of directors is expected to make a decision about its ongoing participation in F1 after the World Motor Sport Council's judgments.
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Wonder what will happen w/ Renault, will they quit F1? And will Piquet find another job in F1 or any other racing series for that matter?

 

Wow, three of the biggest names in F1 just SHAFTED Renault. I bet Alonso's not as innocent as he claims either, but that'll be a tough one to prove. I never liked him anyway.

 

They'll have to lower the boom on Renault. Even a wif of race fixing like this is just poison for F1.

 

Renault will be gone shortly. Rumor has it that it'll become the next Prodrive Team.

 

david richards FTW!!!!!

 

I hope they don't just get to walk away and Renault deal with the consequences. Flavio is loaded and should fined as well.

What do the sponsors have to say about all this? Can they pull out funding and effectively force the team to sit out the rest of the season?

 

this goes on quite a bit in F1, except it is hidden to us viewers.

wow.. look what a disgruntled driver caused ????

Piquet jr. has lost ALL my respect.

i just wish someone would squeal like this on Lance Armstrong :-)

 

Problem is he is protected from personal liability if acting as an agent of Renault.

 

If this is as good as an admission of guilt from Flav-o-flav, it makes this quote from the radio transcript of last year's Shanghai event EXTREMELY hilarious!

Just after Piquet Jr's "crash", served up to order:
>>>Flavio Briatore: "F***ing hell... my every f***ing disgrace, f***ing, he's not a driver." <<<



Linkie: renault radio transcript