SEPTEMBER 21, 2009

A scrum in the Place de la Concorde

The FIA headquarters in the Place de la Concorde in Paris witnessed another media scrum this morning as the leading players in the Singapore Scandal arrived for the World Motor Sport Council meeting which will decide the future of the team.

The FIA headquarters in the Place de la Concorde in Paris witnessed another media scrum this morning as the leading players in the Singapore Scandal arrived for the World Motor Sport Council meeting which will decide the future of the team. Fernando Alonso, Nelsons Piquet Sr and Jr, Bernie Ecclestone and Renault F1 chairman Bernard Rey were all present but there was no sign of departed team boss Flavio Briatore and executive engineer Pat Symonds.

Ecclestone told reporters that the World Council needs to "show balance" in its decision-making. He said that Renault's offences were "very serious" and that there could be "no excuse" but he said that the French manufacturer had acted swiftly to get rid of the culprits and that should be seen as a point in their favour.

The key issue may not be the punishment that is given to Renault, but rather what happens to Briatore and Symonds.