17/09/2009
NEWS STORY
Twenty-four hours after their departure from the Renault F1 Team, the Chief Operating Officer of the French car manufacturer says that Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds were responsible for the incident that caused their downfall.
Speaking to French radio station RTL, Patrick Pelata said: "I don't know all the details but there was a fault and a fault requires a sanction. Flavio Briatore considered he was morally responsible and resigned.
"We will know more about the details after Monday," he added "For the moment we have assumptions but it is clear that basically there was a fault. We don't like this, nor do we want a fault by two people to reflect upon the whole company and the entire Formula One team."
Having let Briatore and Symonds go, and admitting that it will offer no defence in respect of the charge of cheating, Renault must now await the FIA's decision.
Asked if the scandal could cause Renault to walk away from the sport, following in the wake of Honda and BMW, Pelata was giving little away.
"This is not the debate today," he said. "We will have it calmly. Formula One is the world's most-watched show and you have to respect that. Formula One has been in the vanguard of progress for car technology. It is probably not the case at the moment, but it could be again and it is always what Renault have tried to do."