Are we supposed to believe that the governing body of Formula One racing had any intention of disqualifying Renault from the sport for deliberately crashing a car in last year’s Singapore grand prix?
The fact that Renault got a suspended sentence is no surprise since the power lay with the team rather than the Fédérational Internationale de l’Automobile. The latter could not afford to lose another team after Honda and BMW pulled out.
The FIA’s World Motor Sports Council ruled that the deliberate crash was a rule breach of “unparalleld severity” but imposed only a suspended sentence and did not levy a heavy fine on Renault.
The lesson I would draw, if I were running a Formula One team, is that the FIA lacks the clout to punish its teams severely.
