As the Formula 1 season enters its final weeks, this year’s championship will be remembered as much for the controversy as the racing.

Last month’s Singapore Grand Prix was overshadowed by the revelations that Renault had fixed the previous year’s race. It is believed that only three men were involved in the decision to deliberately crash the car driven by Nelson Piquet Jr. presenting team-mate Fernando Alonso with opportunity to win the race.

Both Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds find themselves facing lengthy bans from the sport, with Briatore taking the brunt with a lifetime ban. F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has questioned the verdict, suggesting that it is too severe. Surely he does not believe that a sport, which has been continually updating its proceedings over the last couple of seasons in a vain attempt to attract larger audiences, really needs people who can fix races?

Renault, the team at the heart of the scandal, has tried to distance itself from the allegation, pinning all the blame solely on Briatore, Symonds and Piquet. Regardless, the team has received a two year suspended ban from the sport. Sponsors of the team are also cancelling contracts with immediate effect, with Mutua Madrilena and IMG both removing their names from the vehicles.

However, one player in this debacle seems to be getting away scot-free. Piquet was the man in control of the vehicle when he made a conscience decision to drive his F1 car into the side of the track wall, causing mass debris across the track which led to the safety car being deployed. Piquet has benefited from being a socius criminis. In return for his evidence, which will condemn Briatore and Symonds into F1 obscurity, he has been granted immunity from any charge brought against him.

If Piquet had brought this act of insanity to the attention of the FIA before he had been sacked for his abysmal lack of driving ability, people may be more sympathetic to his cause. But the fact is he did not. He only had a ‘change of heart’ after getting the boot. It is simply a matter of revenge, not one of remorse.

One can only hope that Piquet, although not receiving a ban of any sort, will not be seen in years to come in the colours of another team. Not only would teams surely have to be careful about how they treat a man who simply could not be trusted, but they would also be gambling on his driving abilities.

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