Renault have started proceedings against Nelson Piquet Jr. and his father after they alleged the team fixed the 2008 Singapore GP.
Team act over "false allegations and a related attempt to blackmail"
Renault have started legal proceedings against Nelson Piquet Jr. and his three-times world champion father in response to their claims the team asked him to crash in order to fix the result of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
The team have chosen to act in the wake of the allegations made by Piquet Jr. that his crash was deliberately staged to work to the advantage of team-mate Fernando Alonso, who won the race after starting 15th on the grid.
Renault are also acting against Piquet Sr. over what they claim is an attempt to blackmail team principal Flavio Briatore.
The parties have already been called by the FIA to appear before its World Motor Sport Council to answer charges relating to the affair where, if found guilty, Renault could potentially be thrown out of the sport.
Their statement read: "The FIA has announced it is to hold an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on 21 September 2009.
"The ING Renault F1 Team is to attend that meeting and answer allegations that members of the team conspired with Nelson Piquet Jnr to cause a deliberate accident at the 2008 Singapore GP, so that Fernando Alonso might benefit from the resulting safety car.
"The ING Renault F1 Team had not commented publicly during the FIA's initial investigation into this matter.
"However, today the ING Renault F1 Team and its managing director Flavio Briatore personally wish to state they have commenced criminal proceedings against Nelson Piquet Junior and Nelson Piquet Senior in France concerning the making of false allegations and a related attempt to blackmail the team into allowing Mr Piquet Jr to drive for the remainder of the 2009 season.
"The matter will also be referred to the police in the UK."
Action
The team have filed their action through the criminal prosecutor in France who is to address the matter within the week.
It has also been referred to the UK police because Piquet Jr. resides in England and also because a second statement detailing the affair was provided in this country.
Renault have previously held their silence but chose to act after the initial statement, provided by Piquet Jr. to the FIA in Paris on July 30, was leaked on Thursday.
Asked to confirm the statement's authenticity on Friday, FIA president Max Mosley replied: "I haven't seen anything which I believe to be a forgery."
Piquet Jr. has claimed he held a meeting with Briatore and director of engineering Pat Symonds prior to the race at which he was asked, and agreed, to crash his car.
The Brazilian believed he was in danger of losing his seat with the team and thought his chances of being retained for 2009 would be enhanced if he agreed to the plan.
Briatore and Symonds are said to have admitted that a meeting to discuss tactics took place but have alleged it was Piquet's idea to cause a crash.
Double world champion Alonso had started the race down in 15th place after suffering a fuel pump failure in qualifying.
However, after making his opening pit stop on lap 12, he rose to the head of the field after Piquet's crash two laps later brought out the safety car.
His car hit the wall at turn 17 of the track, where there was no crane near enough to quickly remove the wreck.
Instead a crane had to be brought on to the track, guaranteeing the safety car period and, under F1's then rules, bringing about the closure of the pit lane.
When it eventually re-opened, virtually the entire field dived into the pits, allowing Alonso to climb to fifth place.
Of those ahead of him, Jarno Trulli and Giancarlo Fisichella pitted later, whilst Nico Rosberg and Robert Kubica were both penalised when, fearing they would run out of fuel, they stopped when the pitlane was still closed.
Alonso inherited the lead on lap 34 and went on to score Renault's first win for two seasons at a time it was rumoured they might quit the sport.
Piquet Jr. was eventually retained for this season only to be replaced after the Hungarian Grand Prix in late July following a string of poor results.
His father then contacted the FIA with the allegations, with Piquet Jr. criticising Briatore in public as his "executioner" and someone who has no understanding of the sport.
Immunity
Meanwhile, Mosley has said the FIA will grant Piquet Jr. immunity from punishment in return for the truth.
Speaking at Monza ahead of Sunday's Italian Grand Prix, he said: "Yes. We have said that to him.
"I don't know exactly how it was phrased but he has been told if he tells us the truth he will not be proceeded against."
The decision is akin to that taken two years ago when Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Pedro de la Rosa were granted immunity in return for their co-operation in the 'spy saga' involving McLaren and Ferrari.
McLaren were fined around £50 million and thrown out of the 2007 constructors' championship after being found guilty of possessing secret Ferrari files - Alonso's evidence in particular being central to the case.
Piquet Jr. released a statement later on Friday saying he would not be "bullied" by Renault any longer.
He said: "Regarding the current FIA investigation, I confirm that I have co-operated fully and honestly with the sport's governing body.
"Because I am telling the truth, I have nothing to fear, whether from the ING Renault Team or Mr Briatore and whilst I am well aware of the power and influence of those being investigated, and the vast resources at their disposal, I will not be bullied again into making a decision I regret.
"I have every confidence in the FIA investigation and World Motor Sport Council and I will be making no further comment until the conclusion of the hearing of 21 September 2009."
Speaking on Thursday, Alonso, who left McLaren for Renault at the end of the 2007 season, said he had no knowledge of the alleged plan to fix last year's Singapore race.
