Ecclestone fears Renault withdrawal

12 April 2012

Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone fears Renault may withdraw from the sport in response to an investigation of last season's inaugural Singapore Grand Prix.

Ecclestone has spoken to Flavio Briatore and revealed that the Renault team principal knows nothing of the claims that one of the team's drivers was asked to crash his car to help the other win the race.

"This is not the sort of thing we need at the moment. I think it will p*** off Renault for a start," Ecclestone told The Times.

"Them leaving the sport is a danger, obviously. I mean, I hope that it isn't like that, but it's the sort of thing that might happen.

"What I know, I can't say, to be honest with you. All I know is that Flavio is insisting that he knows nothing about it.

"I think the FIA are looking into everything. They are trying to find out the reality."

The FIA are looking into the race, which made history as the first night event run under floodlights, won by Renault's double world champion Fernando Alonso.

During the race Alonso's then team-mate Nelson Piquet, who was axed by the French manufacturer last month following a string of poor results, crashed on lap 14, bringing out the safety car.

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