BREAKING! Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds walk away from the Renault F1 team

Posted by Harvinder

September 16, 2009

Before the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) drops the guillotine on Renault’s Formula 1 team over the “Crashgate” scandal, the team’s flamboyant boss Flavio Briatore and executive director of engineering, Pat Symonds have left the team. The team was summoned by the WMSC to appear on September 21st regarding the scandal, that is centered around a so called ‘deliberate’ crash by Nelson Piquet Jr. at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, which subsequently allowed his team mate, Fernando Alonso to win the night street race.

According to reports, both Flavio Briatore and Flavio Briatore knew (if not the masterminds) about the deliberate crash. It looks as though, that, before the FIA / WMSC can reveal its verdict, or punishment, both the key personels have opted to leave the company. However, one has to wonder as to why they suddenly left the team. Is the team really guilty, hence the resignations can somehow absorb the blow (if the team is found guilty and subsequently punished)?

Also, there is a possibility that both Briatore and Symonds have received “golden handshakes” by Renault for making the move, unfortunately, these can only be speculations at best, as the Renault team will not make any further comments regarding the matter. The team also announced that it will not dispute the recent allegations made by the FIA concerning the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. Who says Formula 1 isn’t interesting? The team is expected to announce their replacements soon. To learn more about the “crashgate” scandal, please click here.

This is the official statement released by Renault: “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. “