King and Crown Prince offer condolence to Iranian president over the deadly port explosion    stc reports strong first-quarter 2025 results with 11% rise in net profit    Virgin Atlantic celebrates one month of nonstop service between London and Riyadh    Saudi Awwal Bank records SR2.1 billion net profit after zakat and income tax for 1Q25    Mahmoud Abbas appoints Hussein Al-Sheikh as PLO vice president in key succession move    Saudi Arabia's entertainment sector attracts 76 million visitors in 2024    Third round of US-Iran nuclear talks concludes with cautious optimism    Multiple casualties reported after vehicle drives into crowd at Vancouver street festival    Duran leads Al Nassr past Yokohama Marinos into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Al Ahli cruise past Buriram into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia offers condolences to Iran following deadly Bandar Abbas port explosion    Saudi Arabia deports 12,866 illegal residents in a week    SFDA clears first 44-ton medical shipment for Hajj pilgrims    Ministry of Hajj issued over 150,000 Nusuk cards for the Hajj of 2025    Saudi orchestra to perform at Sydney Opera House in May    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Alonso dismisses talk of Renault crash conspiracy
By Paul Logothetis
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 11 - 09 - 2009

Fernando Alonso was struggling to understand why his Renault team was being investigated for allegedly ordering former teammate Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash at last year's Singapore Grand Prix to help him to victory.
Alonso won last season's first Formula One night race after Piquet Jr. crashed into a wall shortly after the two-time world champion had pitted, with the safety car allowing Alonso to position himself well to take the victory.
Governing body FIA is investigating claims that the French team ordered Piquet Jr. to crash to help Alonso win.
“I'm very surprised. I cannot imagine these things, these situations,” Alonso said Thursday at the Italian GP. “It's something that never entered my mind.”
Reports emerged Thursday that team principal Flavio Britatore and director of engineering Pat Symonds discussed the idea with Piquet Jr. ahead of the race.
Piquet Jr., who was looking to renew his contract at the time, is pointing fingers at his superiors, while Briatore has implicated Piquet Jr., according to reports of the FIA investigation.
Autosport.com reported that Symonds told FIA that the idea of the crash was spoken but only as a conversation topic and not a plan of action.
Renault will appear before the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Sept. 21 to answer to charges that could see it thrown out of the sport.
“After the hearing, everything will be clarified and will be the time to say something. But now there's no sense,” said Alonso, who didn't feel the current investigation tainted his victory.
Piquet Jr. was fired by Renault halfway through his second season in July. “It's hard to think someone would crash a car because they were told to,” Brazilian driver Rubens Barrichello said. “If that's true then it's very, very sad. Or else someone wants Briatore's head.”
Alonso fully supported Briatore and said that the decision of the hearing would not change anything in terms of his future. The Spanish driver is out of contract at the end of the season and heavily linked to Ferrari.
“He's always been a nice boss with me. A friend, a boss, he supports my career always,” said Alonso, who won back-to-back F1 titles with Renault in 2005-06. “Flavio is one of the good people here and he has all my support, always.”


Clic here to read the story from its source.