Formula One: Nelson Piquet Jr. finally gets justice from team Renault
Team Renault has finally given in and verily, Nelson Piquet Jr. and his father – 3 time champion Nelson Piquet - have been pleaded:
not guilty.
The French-based constructors allegedly accused the Piquet pair of blackmailing the team following the dramatic events that unfolded at the Singapore Grand Prix 2 years back. Renault on the other hand, were later found to be guilty as the young driver’s
behaviour was dictated by ‘team orders’, asking Piquet to crash ultimately enabled Fernando Alonso to go on and win.
The crash gate scandal as dubbed by the media, started out when the Renault number 2 could no longer bottle up the internal power struggle of the constructors and spoke to the ‘empathic’ media; revealing that he deliberately crashed in the race to aid the
first choice Renault driver.
The striking bit of evidence literally shook the Formula One business. Nelson Jr.’s claims caused the governing body of Formula One, the FIA, into action as a formal investigation was launched against Flavio Briatore’s team. Merely 2 weeks later, Renault
were found guilty. The constructor’s were given a 2-year suspension from the motorsport while the team principal was accused on the grounds of contrasting principles and handed a lifetime ban; later altered to no involvement in the business until 2013.
On winning the case, the Piquet family lawyer had this to say:
"Today the Renault Formula 1 team apologised in the High Court for defaming my two clients, the motor racing father and son Nelson and Nelsinho Piquet. They were both treated appallingly by Renault F1 when they dared to reveal the scandal to the governing
body.”
Here was the French based constructor’s official statement following the result of the High Court case:
"The team accepts that the allegations made by Nelson Piquet Jr. were not false. It also accepts that Piquet Jr. and his father did not invent these allegations in order to blackmail the team… The Defendant has agreed to pay the Claimants substantial damages
and costs, as well as not to repeat these allegations at any time in the future.”
It has been one of the most sordid chapters in the history of Formula 1 racing which has finally come to a conclusion. The auto making giant, Renault, have effectively apologized and agreed to pay out millions of Euros in compensation to Nelson Piquet Jr
and his father.
To conclude, it could therefore be accepted that Justice finally served albeit two years too late, however, it is finally safe to state that one of the world’s most ‘respected’ racing families shall retain its honour in years to come.
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