Renault Face Probe Over Fix Slur

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Renault face probe over fix slur

Briatore (left) and Alonso both expressed their anger in Monza

Renault chief Flavio Briatore could be in hot water with Formula One chiefs after he claimed the title race was fixed in favour of Michael Schumacher.

Briatore, commenting after Schumacher's Italian GP victory, said: "This is a world championship which has already been decided at the table.

"They have decided to give the world championship to Schumacher and that is what will be."

The FIA responded by saying Briatore's comments would now be investigated.

A statement from the sport's governing body said: "The comments attributed to the Renault team principal have been noted by the FIA and are under consideration."

Briatore made his feelings clear after a complaint lodged by Ferrari, that Alonso had blocked Felipe Massa during the final qualifying session, was upheld by race officials.

The punishment handed out to the world champion meant he dropped from fifth to 10th on the grid, hampering his chances of getting in the points.

Renault played to the media on Sunday morning footage from the on-board camera from Massa's car that suggested the Brazilian was never closer than 100m to Alonso.

Briatore renewed his anger after the race, saying: "What happened on Sunday isn't the problem. It is what happened before the race which is strange."

However, FIA president Max Mosley said the stewards had no alternative but to punish Alonso and poured cold water on suggestions of a conspiracy theory weighted in Schumacher's favour.

"That's a down-the-pub conspiracy theory - look at what happened to Michael at Monaco and Hungary," said Mosley, referring to qualifying penalties handed to Schumacher.

"If you have rules in a sport you have to apply them.

"At the end of the season what we are thinking very seriously about is saying we are only going to look at these questions if there is evidence of intent, which I don't think there was in this case."

If Briatore has a case to answer it is likely to be discussed at an emergency meeting of the world motorsport council on 19 September.

Alonso left Monza with a bitter taste in his mouth and admitted before the race he had lost faith in F1 as a sporting contest.

"I am a sportsman. I love sport, I love the fans. I don't consider Formula One like a sport anymore," said Alonso.

The Spaniard said he felt Renault were being singled out, and pointed to a number of other decisions that had gone against them since mid-season.

"Many things happen in the last few months against one team with no explanation," Alonso said, "and I think the image for people from the outside is that F1 has a little bit too much politics."

Renault technical chief Pat Symonds also argued that far from hindering Massa, Alonso actually aided him by giving him a slipstream on the straight.

"Massa got a good tow," he said. "His speed was the fastest of the qualifying session. He got some advantage from it.

"I don't understand the penalty, because we don't feel we impeded him."

www.bbc.co.uk

If one cannot utter words of suspicion without being punished then FIA must be feeling guilty

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Renault face probe over fix slur

Briatore (left) and Alonso both expressed their anger in Monza

Renault chief Flavio Briatore could be in hot water with Formula One chiefs after he claimed the title race was fixed in favour of Michael Schumacher.

Briatore, commenting after Schumacher's Italian GP victory, said: "This is a world championship which has already been decided at the table.

"They have decided to give the world championship to Schumacher and that is what will be."

The FIA responded by saying Briatore's comments would now be investigated.

A statement from the sport's governing body said: "The comments attributed to the Renault team principal have been noted by the FIA and are under consideration."

Briatore made his feelings clear after a complaint lodged by Ferrari, that Alonso had blocked Felipe Massa during the final qualifying session, was upheld by race officials.

The punishment handed out to the world champion meant he dropped from fifth to 10th on the grid, hampering his chances of getting in the points.

Renault played to the media on Sunday morning footage from the on-board camera from Massa's car that suggested the Brazilian was never closer than 100m to Alonso.

Briatore renewed his anger after the race, saying: "What happened on Sunday isn't the problem. It is what happened before the race which is strange."

However, FIA president Max Mosley said the stewards had no alternative but to punish Alonso and poured cold water on suggestions of a conspiracy theory weighted in Schumacher's favour.

"That's a down-the-pub conspiracy theory - look at what happened to Michael at Monaco and Hungary," said Mosley, referring to qualifying penalties handed to Schumacher.

"If you have rules in a sport you have to apply them.

"At the end of the season what we are thinking very seriously about is saying we are only going to look at these questions if there is evidence of intent, which I don't think there was in this case."

If Briatore has a case to answer it is likely to be discussed at an emergency meeting of the world motorsport council on 19 September.

Alonso left Monza with a bitter taste in his mouth and admitted before the race he had lost faith in F1 as a sporting contest.

"I am a sportsman. I love sport, I love the fans. I don't consider Formula One like a sport anymore," said Alonso.

The Spaniard said he felt Renault were being singled out, and pointed to a number of other decisions that had gone against them since mid-season.

"Many things happen in the last few months against one team with no explanation," Alonso said, "and I think the image for people from the outside is that F1 has a little bit too much politics."

Renault technical chief Pat Symonds also argued that far from hindering Massa, Alonso actually aided him by giving him a slipstream on the straight.

"Massa got a good tow," he said. "His speed was the fastest of the qualifying session. He got some advantage from it.

"I don't understand the penalty, because we don't feel we impeded him."

www.bbc.co.uk

If one cannot utter words of suspicion without being punished then FIA must be feeling guilty

Whats happened to freedom of speech.... After what happened to Alonso, F1 is looking a real farce.

Flav was just calling a spade a spade!

Talking about the farce that is F1...

The exact same thing ending Montoya's title bid against Shumcher in 2003!!! Montoya had a drive through penalty, and was later found not guilty of the incident (crashing into Barrichello).

It distroyed his USA GP and title bid in the process!!!