LONDON, (Reuters) – After deciding not to contest charges of fixing last year’s Singapore Grand Prix, Renault must wait for Formula One’s governing body to decide their punishment.
The main question now is whether, with flamboyant team boss Flavio Briatore falling on his sword, Renault have done enough to escape the ultimate sanction of being kicked out of the championship.
Another concern is whether, given all the negative publicity over ordering Brazilian Nelson Piquet to crash his car to help team mate Fernando Alonso win, the French manufacturer will remain committed to the sport even if allowed to continue racing.
“Out. Total. Exclusion forever, gone, finished. That’s the worst that could happen,” International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Max Mosley said last week when asked what was the toughest possible penalty.
That is no idle threat. Toyota were excluded for a year from the world rally championship in 1995 for using an illegal turbocharger.
The departure of Briatore and his unflappable director of engineering Pat Symonds may act in Renault’s favour however.
Precedents suggest being honest and apologising unreservedly will also help.
Mosley has said the Renault cause is potentially more serious than that of McLaren, who were fined $100 million and stripped of all their constructors’ points in 2007 for having Ferrari technical data in their possession.
However, the FIA came down particularly hard on McLaren because it felt the team had not been honest.
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“One of the bad things about McLaren was that they did not tell the truth, so that went against them,” Mosley said.
McLaren took a very different tack in April when they were again hauled in front of the FIA on charges of lying to stewards at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
McLaren’s British world champion Lewis Hamilton made a public apology, team principal Martin Whitmarsh doing so unreservedly in front of the FIA members. Sporting director Dave Ryan was dismissed and former team boss Ron Dennis distanced.
The FIA highlighted the “open and honest” approach and dealt the team a suspended three-race ban.
The argument that 600 to 700 innocent Renault employees risk losing their jobs because of the actions of individuals who have since left the company will also have weight.
