‘Renault may quit’

Allegations of race-fixing at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix could prompt Renault to walk away from Formula One, commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone warned on Tuesday.

“This is not the sort of thing we need at the moment,” the 78-year-old Briton told the Times newspaper. “I think it will p**s off Renault for a start. Them leaving the sport is a danger, obviously. I mean, I hope that it isn’t like that, but it’s the sort of thing that might happen.”

The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday that they were investigating ‘alleged incidents’ at an unnamed previous race. The FIA gave no details about the incidents and did not say who had made the allegations. However, media reports originating in Brazil said the focus was on the sport’s first night race staged in Singapore last September.

Double world champion Fernando Alonso won that race, his first in more than a year and from 15th place on the starting grid, after Brazilian team mate Nelson Piquet crashed and brought out the safety car. Alonso had just refuelled at that point, a lucky break for the Spaniard who was able to come through and lead to the finish.

Renault have made no comment on allegations that Piquet might have crashed deliberately to help his team mate. Alonso has not commented on the reports and neither has Piquet.