'Crashgate' section to be removed from F1 track with lap times to drop by 20 seconds
dailystar.co.ukF1 history as it includes the section central to the so-called ‘Crashgate’ scandal of 2008.The incident saw Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crash his Renault, triggering a safety car and a chaotic round of pitstops for most teams, which helped teammate Fernando Alonso to win the race.READ MORE: F1 circuit left abandoned and derelict 10 years after famous Fernando Alonso winAfter the race, Alonso said: “This will be a historic race for F1.” And he was absolutely right, albeit for the wrong reasons.The fixing of the race only came to light the following year after Piquet had been dropped by Renault mid-season.
The Brazilian alleged that he had been instructed to crash by the team on lap 14, triggering a major investigation by governing body, the FIA.Renault were subsequently charged with conspiracy – charges they did not fight – with managing director Flavio Briatore and executive director of engineering Pat Symonds soon leaving the team.The team were handed a suspended disqualification, suspended for two years pending any similar rule infringements.
Briatore was given an indefinite ban while Symonds received a five-year ban, although both bans were subsequently overturned years later.
The FIA found no reason to prosecute Alonso and the Spaniard was absolved of any blame. What do you think of the changes to the track?
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