9621 Agnes Crossing, Lake Suzanneview, New Mexico Island 84604-9295.
This race is not just about tires hitting the asphalt, but also of Formula 1 It also sheds light on a dark point. It was remembered as a
This race is not just about tires hitting the asphalt, but also of Formula 1 It also sheds light on a dark point. It was remembered as a race in which a team trying to gain an advantage on the track tarnished the short career of a young driver.
Although the incident was initially dismissed as ‘just an accident’, it was actually much more than an accident. Questioning the ethics and competitive principles of Formula 1 Not to mention that it sparks a debate.
Until the race on September 28, 2008, things were not going well for Renault. The team didn’t have much of a budget. Fernando Alonso, who won the championship two years in a row in the team, moved to McLaren last year and became teammates with Hamilton, who spent his rookie season. The duo lost the championship to Raikkonen that season by 1 point. For Hamilton it was a success but it was a flop for the champion of the past two years.
McLaren team, When Hamilton saw the light, Alonso was back at Renault. With Alonso’s return, the team started attracting sponsors again.
Ferrari Behind teams like McLaren and Sauber He performed poorly. How did this race in Singapore become a scandal unusual in sporting history?
Alonso had only collected 28 points in the season up to that point. Nelson Piquet Jr. He could only score points 3 times. So it was very important for them to achieve a successful result in Singapore.
However, things did not go as they expected. Piquet Jr. was eliminated in the first part of qualifying, after which Alonso suffered a mechanical failure in the second session before he could complete a lap. This means that the duo will start the race from 15th and 16th position. It meant.
In 2008, unlike today Vehicles could also refuel during pit stops and fuel strategies were of great importance. Vehicles that fell behind tried to gain an advantage by filling their tanks to the brim and making one fewer pit stop than their competitors.
Who will start the race from 15th place Alonso had little fuel in his gas tank and soft tires on his rims. This situation confused everyone. Alonso had a fuel load and tire advantage at the start of the race. They witnessed it progress quickly and put itself first. However, during his pit stop on the 10th lap he switched to hard tires and took on a heavy fuel load.
Soon, after 3 rounds, the real picture emerged. Renault’s strategy was quite strange. As the cameras showed Sebastian Bourdais returning to the track from the escape room on the 14th lap, the image suddenly shifted to another place. Piquet Jr. stood against the wall and looked away from the track.
This accident was so serious that the safety car had to come out. Furthermore, the fact that there was no escape route where the wreckage was located made the situation even more serious. For this reason The safety car was immediately activated.
According to the rules of that time During the first lap of the safety car, it was forbidden to enter the pit lane during races. and pilots who did not adhere to this rule were given a 10-second stop-go penalty.
This accident occurred during the vehicles’ pit time and these vehicles had no fuel to complete another lap. For this reason, the pilots had to put their vehicles in the pits, at the risk of being fined. Most of the drivers who made a pit stop were able to return to the track, but the one who was fighting for the championship and leading the race at the time. Felipe Massa, He got stuck at the end of the pit lane while trying to leave the pits with the fuel pump. Massa lost the championship at the end of the season by 1 point to Hamilton.
Even though Ferrari mechanics removed the fuel pump Massa had to drop to last place and had to continue the race with the penalty he received for passing the pits.
The natural progression of the race saw Alonso climb to first place and maintain his position in the remaining race. It gave Renault its first victory in two years. This victory is considered the most important victory of Alonso’s career, and when asked, he describes this race as his best victory.
A week later, after victory in Singapore in the 2008 season, Alonso and Renault Another victory at Suzuka and they finished the season in 5th place with 61 points. This was literally the unexpected surprise of a bad season.
All points earned by the team, It was achieved by car number 7 and its driver Fernando Alonso.
This failed performance, after 10 races It has reached a point that Flavio Briatore and Renault cannot tolerate and they kicked Piquet Jr. from the team after the Hungarian GP. However, his replacement, Romain Grosjean, was not perfect either.
The best finish in the remaining 7 races is 13th place. Grosjean’s poor performancecaused him to be taken off the grid in 2010. However, the real big problem for Renault had not yet come to light.
It all started with an accusation on August 30, 2009. Piquet Jr., who was sent by the team, began to explain the events one by one. In his statement said He said Briatore and Symonds Piquet Jr. told where and how to cause the accident. Renault, on the other hand, also bought Piquet Jr. He announced that he would file a countersuit against him for “defamation” and “blackmail”.
Every detail of Renault, from where the accident would take place to how it would happen, was told to Piquet Jr. explained. Following the publication of this evidence, Symonds and Briatore left the team. On September 21, 2009, the FIA banned Renault from F1 for two years. Symonds was banned from F1 for five years and Briatore for life.
After all these events Renault also lost sponsorship from its main sponsor, ING Bank. and announced that he had sold his F1 team to Lotus at the end of the 2010 season.
Pat SymondsAfter the five-year ban imposed by the FIA ended, he returned to Formula 1 with Williams at the end of the 2013 season. He played a key role in the development of successful vehicles in 2014 and 2015. He is currently F1’s chief technical advisor.
Of these events The most profitable name was Fernando Alonso. As no decision was made about him and it was assumed that he had no connection with the incident.
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Alice Smith is a seasoned journalist and writer for Div Bracket. She has a keen sense of what’s important and is always on top of the latest trends. Alice provides in-depth coverage of the most talked-about news stories, delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles that keep her readers informed and engaged.
