Singapore Grand Prix (9.27.2009)
Lewis Hamilton Breezes To Victory Under the Lights on the Island of Singapore.
Racing beneath a glittering and simply stunning night setting, Lewis Hamilton (1 McLaren Mercedes) fends off minor challenges both from Sebastian Vettel (15) and Fernando Alonso (7) and atones for his horrific last lap spin at Monza with a wire-to-wire race victory on the city-state street course.
The FIA Issues the Death Penalty to Renault Principal Flavio Briatore For His Role in the Nelson Piquet 'Crashgate' Affair.
The seamier side of Formula 1 racing emerges as the ‘Crashgate’ scandal unravels before all to behold. According to former Renault driver Nelson Piquet, Jr., miffed over his recent dismissal from the team by principal Flavio Briatore, his crash in the 2008 Singapore GP came as a result of direct orders from the team, who wished to improve the track position and ultimate finish of teammate Fernando Alonso. Alonso won the race in grand fashion and probably did not require any assistance from Piquet, yet the FIA sees bright alert red in Piquet’s allegations and orders an immediate investigation. Briatore adamantly refutes Piquet’s claims and attributes the same to a disgruntled driver, and the principal at first seems in the clear after a brief Renault investigation, yet the FIA refuses to swallow the story and grants Piquet immunity for his testimony. Renault sees the writing on the wall and reverses course by relieving Briatore of his team responsibilities, yet the FIA, acting as cat’s paws for the embittered Maxwell Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone, draw a bead on the former principal. With both Mosley and Ecclestone getting in their final licks due to their joint wrath over Briatore and his high profile role in the prior FOTA breakaway dispute, the FIA summarily issues an indefinite (read lifetime) ban against Briatore’s participation in the series, including a promise to invalidate any license held by a Formula 1 driver represented by Briatore’s management group. The penalty amounts to a virtual death sentence upon Briatore’s future involvement in his beloved pastime, and the former Benetton executive promises litigation to resolve the messy affair.
