Flavio Briatore has denied ordering Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash intentionally with a view to assist Renault win the 2008 F1 Singapore Grand Prix.
The scandal dubbed as ‘Crashgate’ got here to gentle following Piquet’s sacking in 2009.
Piquet claimed Briatore, who was Renault boss on the time, recommended crashing on goal to successfully repair the race of their favour.
On Lap 15 of the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix, Piquet crashed his automobile, triggering a Security Automobile.
Teammate Fernando Alonso subsequently received the race from fifteenth on the grid, giving Renault and Briatore their first win of the season.
A yr later, Piquet was sacked mid-season by Renault, with Briatore nonetheless in cost.
After an investigation, Briatore and technical director Pat Symonds have been banned from the game.
Briatore was initially handed a lifetime ban, which was later overturned.
Symonds was handed 5 years and would later make a comeback to F1 with Williams.
Nelson Piquet and Flavio Briatore
In an interview with Italian publication Corriere della Sera, Briatore denied even speaking to Piquet when he was within the group.
“No, I’m not . I didn’t even converse to him a lot when he was driving for me,” he stated.
“He and I by no means spoke, and actually the French court docket annulled the ban imposed by the FIA and awarded me a symbolic compensation. Funnily sufficient, the president who banned me — Mosley — is similar one who disqualified Schumacher.
“Once I left, I used to be drained: I had received the whole lot, I had launched new drivers. It was not a enterprise that I discovered thrilling — it had develop into simply one other job, and that’s once I cease being efficient.
“Plus, my son Falco was about to be born, and I needed to be near my spouse.”
Briatore has lately returned to F1 as Alpine’s government director.
The 75-year-old is taking part in a key function in any main resolution Alpine makes.
From drivers, such because the signing of Franco Colapinto, or changing into a buyer group for 2026.
‘Crashgate’ continues to have a long-lasting impression, given the impact on Felipe Massa’s 2008 F1 title bid.
The impromptu Security Automobile attributable to Piquet’s crash arguably price the Brazilian a possible victory.
