German Car Zone

Amid the deafening silence from the Renault and Piquet camps, F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone went on an overnight media offensive as his sport's latest scandal erupted.

"It is not good for the sport. It all seems very strange to me but I do not know the truth, I have no idea," said the 78-year-old, who gave quotes and seemingly also information to multiple British newspapers.

The new reports indicate that the source of the accusation is Nelson Piquet and his famous father and namesake, furious that the 23-year-old driver was ousted by the French team after the Hungarian Grand Prix last month.

It is also suggested that the saga, which might go all the way to a hearing of the World Motor Sport Council, could prompt Renault to quit the sport no matter the outcome and end Flavio Briatore's F1 career.

"I think it will piss off Renault," Ecclestone said. "Them leaving the sport is a danger, obviously."

Ecclestone is a friend and confidante of the irascible Briatore, with whom he owns the London football club Queens Park Rangers. He said the Italian is "well and truly upset".

It has been reported that Fernando Alonso may be implicated if he knows anything about Piquet's Singapore crash, and Ecclestone warned that Piquet also risks finding himself in hot water by making such serious accusations.

"If it is true, then I would have thought Nelson was in just as much trouble.
If I tell you to go and rob a bank and you get caught, you can't say, 'Bernie told me to'," the Briton said.

"But it could just be a rumour and Nelson is just pissed off that he has been fired."

Ecclestone described Piquet as "an angry young man" and suggested that, no matter what, his F1 career is over.

"You can safely say that he's sort of in trouble now. You'd have to wonder what next, wouldn't you?" he said.

"All I know is that Flavio is insisting that he knows nothing about it," added Ecclestone, who nonetheless admitted the FIA would likely react strongly if there is any truth to the rumours.

The FIA is looking into the claims, but the Paris federation confirmed that an investigation is underway without referring specifically to the Singapore GP nor Piquet or Renault.

"It will be difficult to prove," Ecclestone continued. "If there is something on the radio that said, 'Er, Nelson, you'd better crash now', then what the hell can they do?

"(But) we would have copies of those conversations and someone would have come forward in the interim," he added.


Source: F1 : Ecclestone speaks as 'crash-gate' erupts - RENAULT - F1-Live.com

Please... kill the F1 championship already... make it stop... it's now all pain and no pleasure...

This is what, 1 year old?

Nelson needs to go to Nascar.

I'm not totally surprised by this as I expressed my suspicion last year. The whole victory was just too much of a coincidence, and further more Alonso cut the first chicane in the first corner and got away with it. It was a rotten victory.

Young Nelson Piquet has definitely learnt from Fernando Alonso.

"If the team did not acquiesce to my demands, I'll make sure I kill the team by going to the FIA with incriminating evidence." Senor Alonso

Time for Flavio to take it up the backside.

Wow, after admitting to that, I doubt they will even find a ride with the local go-cart team.

And yet again Alonso is embroiled in another cheating scandal, but let's wait until the verdict is out. One thing is for sure though, Nelson and his father are pissed.

The Piquets have been trying to find financial backers to support them to buy a F1 team but to no avail.

Well, Alonso won without any SC at Fuji. Definitely Singapore was no fluke.

I'm still refusing to believe that Renault fixed that race. I just think it's some usual threats from the PK family, over the sacking issue.

Nelson PK Jr. has always been in a fiery mood. Look at all his interviews. I've never seen a young punk that curses and being that angry in some interviews. So, seriously i won't be surprised he planned all this and now just to hit back at Flav and Renault, he came out and said he was set up, the race was a set up.

Obviously, the FIA can't ignore the allegations, and hence the investigation. The way i look at it, PK just screwed his life up. He should go back to college or whatever, and get a degree and start looking for a normal job now. He's definitely done with racing.