Formula One news

Renault head: Briatore admitted responsibility

Renault Chief Operating Officer Patrick Pelata has said that Flavio Briatore, former Team Principal of the manufacturer's Formula One team, believed that he held the greatest responsibility for the team's race-fixing scandal of last year before handing in his notice last Wednesday.

Having been at the centre of the episode which resulted in Nelson Piquet Jr. deliberately crashing his car into the Turn 17 wall during the Singapore Grand Prix last season, both Briatore and Executive Director of Engineering Pat Symonds left the team ahead of Monday's FIA hearing in Paris.

Despite no longer being part of Renault, Flavio Briatore is expected to be at Monday's hearing

"Flavio Briatore considered he was morally responsible and resigned," Pelata explained to French radio station RTL. "We do not want the fault of two people reflecting upon the whole company and the entire Formula One team; I do not know all of the details but there was a fault and a fault requires a sanction."

The punishment in question will be revealed this week although the departures of the men involved could be the deciding factor as to whether Renault lands a large fine instead of complete expulsion from the sport. "We will know more about the details after the FIA hearing," Pelata continued. "The debate is not now. We will have it calmly.

"F1 is the world's most watched show and we must respect that."

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