FIA probes claims of deliberate Piquet crash
On Sunday at Spa-Francorchamps, it was reported by Brazil's TV Globo broadcaster that Piquet, replaced by rookie Romain Grosjean before the recent European grand prix, crashed in Singapore because he had been asked to.
The incident brought out the safety car and triggered the strategy chaos that sped his teammate Fernando Alonso to the top of the podium.
Without mentioning the night race or the French team specifically, the FIA told media that "an investigation is underway regarding alleged events at a previous world championship race".
The spokesperson's quote was given directly in response to enquiries about the Piquet/Singapore claims.
In an article on Monday by the British newspaper The Guardian entitled 'Renault may quit formula over new cheating claim', representatives of both Renault and Piquet, 23, did not comment.
"A spokeswoman for the (Renault team) said today that there would be no comment," said the report, adding that spokesmen for Piquet also "said he would be making no comment".
08/30/09 (GMM) The FIA has confirmed it will investigate claims that Nelson Piquet was ordered to deliberately crash during last year's Singapore grand prix.
After the sport's first ever night race last September, we reported that it was "ironic" that the Brazilian's heavy crash brought out the safety car and triggered the strategy chaos that sped his teammate Fernando Alonso to the top of the podium.
"I lost the rear of my car. I hit the wall heavily," said Piquet at the time, but he has since been ousted by the Renault team and is furious at his treatment by his former boss and manager Flavio Briatore.
During the broadcast of Sunday's Belgian grand prix, the Brazilian network Globo TV reportedly said it had received information that Piquet was asked to crash on purpose in Singapore.
A spokesman for F1's governing body confirmed to publications that an investigation is underway.