Renault say they have commenced criminal proceedings against both Nelson Piquet Jnr and Nelson Piquet Snr in the wake of "false allegations" made by the former that team principal Flavio Briatore and director of engineering Pat Symonds asked him to crash deliberately during last year’s Singapore Grand Prix.
It is understood the matter has referred to a criminal prosecutor in France, although Renault say they are referring the matter to the police in the United Kingdom.
It is the first time since the controversy erupted in Spa two weeks ago that the French team have said anything in public on the matter and comes hot on the heels of yet another leaked dossier, this time a letter from Briatore to Nelson Piquet Snr, in which he accuses the Brazilian former world champion of ‘outrageous lies’.
"The ING Renault F1 Team had not commented publicly during the FIA's initial investigation into this matter,” said the statement released on Friday morning.
"However, today the ING Renault F1 Team and its Managing Director Flavio Briatore personally, wish to state that they have commenced criminal proceedings against Nelson Piquet Junior and Nelson Piquet Senior in France concerning the making of false allegations. The matter will also be referred to the Police in the UK.”
Ahead of the extraordinary meeting of the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council in Paris on September 21, where Renault must answer claims that it deliberately caused a crash to help Fernando Alonso win, details of the case have been slowly emerging in a series of leaked documents.
After Piquet Jnr’s witness statement to the FIA was leaked on Thursday, extracts from a letter from Briatore to Symonds appeared on respected motorsport website autosport.com yesterday.
The letter is understood to date from July 28, two days after Max Mosley had been informed of the alleged events in Singapore but two days prior to Piquet Jr. making his official testimony to the governing body.
In the letter, Briatore denies any suggestion that Piquet was asked to crash on purpose.
Briatore says he was "extremely shocked" to learn from F1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone and other Renault representatives that Piquet Sr. was going to reveal that his son had been asked to cause a crash.
"I was also extremely shocked to learn that you were threatening to make this contention before the FIA,” Briatore said.
"You can easily imagine that I can certainly not accept your contention that the Renault Team, myself, and your son entered into some sort of conspiracy that would not only have an impact on the result of the competition, but actually, that may put at risk the safety of all the contenders in the Grand Prix just to have Fernando Alonso obtaining a racing advantage.
"I am outraged that you could think that I myself, not mentioning your son and the other people in the Renault's Team, could have any part in such a strategy that may constitute a criminal offense."
Briatore added in the letter that, should Piquet Jnr make any declarations against him, he would have no option but to commence legal proceedings. He has been as good as his word.
Renault accuse Nelson Piquet Jnr and Snr over Singapore GP crash claim - Telegraph
And the plot thickens...
Renault accuse Nelson Piquet Jnr and Snr over Singapore GP crash claim
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