Motor Sport: Flavio Briatore has resigned as the team principal of Renault. The news comes as the team have decided not to contest the recent allegations made against them, that they conspired with then driver Nelson Piquet Junior to cause a crash at last year's Singapore Grand Prix.
Renault's director of engineering, Pat Symonds, also resigned and has been offered immunity by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) in return for full disclosure of the facts.
The team were charged by the sport's governing body of fixing the race by ordering Piquet, who has since left the team, to stage a deliberate crash that helped team mate Fernando Alonso win the race.
Renault could be thrown out of the sport after effectively admitting their guilt.
"The ING Renault F1 Team will not dispute the recent allegations made by the FIA concerning the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix," Renault read in a statement released this afternoon.
"It also wishes to state that its managing director, Flavio Briatore and its executive director of engineering, Pat Symonds, have left the team. Before attending the hearing before the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on September 21st, the team will not make any further comment.”
The accident, at a point on the track where cars cannot be swiftly removed, came just after Alonso had refuelled after a very short first stint. The safety car was then deployed, to the Spaniard's advantage.
Renault had accused Piquet of making "false allegations and a related attempt to blackmail the team into allowing Mr Piquet Jnr to drive for the remainder of the 2009 season".
Piquet junior was dropped by Renault in August after he had failed to score a point in 10 races.
FIA) president Max Mosley said Piquet had been offered immunity from prosecution by the governing body if he told the truth.
The offer is similar to one made to McLaren drivers in 2007 when that team was being investigated over Ferrari documents found in their possession. McLaren were fined a record €70 million in that affair.
Alonso told reporters at the Italian Grand Prix last week that he had been unaware of any plan cooked up by his team in Singapore and Mosley agreed there was no indication of his involvement.
"I am very surprised. I cannot imagine these things or this situation," said Alonso.
How in unfolded
2008: September 28th: Fernando Alonso wins Singapore Grand Prix after the deployment of a safety car, caused by a crash involving team-mate Nelson Piquet Junior, helps him into a dominant position.
2009: August 4th: Renault sack Piquet after failing to score a point in the first 10 races of the 2009 season; the driver responds with an outspoken attack on team boss Flavio Briatore, branding the managing director an "executioner".
August 31st: The FIA launch an investigation into "alleged incidents" in an unspecified race, widely believed to be the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
September 4th: The FIA charge Renault with fixing the result of the Singapore race and summon the team to a hearing at an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.
September 10th: Alonso says he is "very surprised" by the allegations.
September 11th: Renault launch criminal proceedings against Piquet and his father, Nelson Piquet Senior, after it emerges they have given evidence to the FIA over the matter. A team statement accused the pair of "making of false allegations and a related attempt to blackmail the team into allowing Mr Piquet Jnr to drive for the remainder of the 2009 season".
September 16th: Briatore and executive director of engineering Pat Symonds quit Renault after the team decide not to contest the allegations.