Severe sanctions could await Renault

Renault face being thrown out of the Formula One world championship if found guilty of causing a crash that helped Fernando Alonso win last year’s Singapore Grand Prix.

An extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council will take place in Paris on Monday, September 21, with Renault facing charges of being in breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.

The charge is that “the team conspired with its driver, Nelson Piquet Jr, to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix with the aim of causing the deployment of the safety car to the advantage of its other driver, Fernando Alonso”.

Should Renault be punished, it is almost certain the penalty will be severe.

Alonso would naturally be stripped of his victory, potentially even all his points from last season, which may result in Renault being forced to pay back all their prize money for 2008.

In addition, there is the real prospect of their exclusion from this year’s championship, which in turn may ultimately lead to Renault’s decision to withdraw from the sport altogether.