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Formula 1
F1: Piquets Win ‘Substantial’ Damages
Nelson Piquet Sr and Jr prevail in case against Renault F1...
Nelson Piquet Jr. (Right) with father Nelson Piquet Sr. (Left). (Photo: LAT Photographic)
The Singapore 2008 “Crashgate” scandal returned to the headlines today when it was announced that Nelson Piquet Sr and Jr have won damages and costs from Renault F1.
The action in the London courts related to a press statement made by the team in September last year, shortly after the scandal came to light.
In announcing the result of the proceedings the Piquet family issued the following statement from lawyer Dominic Crossley:
“Today the Renault Formula One Team apologized in the High Court for defaming my two clients, the motor racing father and son Nelson and Nelsinho Piquet. This marks the start rather than the end of the long journey they are both taking to correct many of the wrongs that took place during last year’s “Crashgate” scandal.
"They were both treated appallingly by Renault F1 when they dared to reveal the scandal to the governing body; and Nelsinho was abused terribly throughout his absurdly short career in F1. It is to the immense credit of both my clients that they have refused to be deterred from righting the wrongs despite the ferocity of the attacks and the size of the opponents they have had to confront.
"Nelson Piquet dominated F1 during the early 80s and his reputation as a motorsport legend should remain untarnished by this saga. F1 has been deprived of the best of Nelsinho and it is to its detriment that his talent is now being demonstrated elsewhere.
"Whilst neither of them should ever have had to prove Renault F1’s allegations false they are both delighted with the successful conclusion of the case.”
In making their case in court, the Piquet's legal counsel said:
"Nelson Piquet Junior is a Professional Racing Driver and was one of the Defendant’s drivers until July 2009. His father, Nelson Piquet Senior, was also a well-known Formula One driver himself and three-time World Champion.
"On 11th September 2009, the Defendant issued a Press Release in which they suggested that Nelson Piquet Junior and his father had lied by making false allegations that he and members of the team had caused a deliberate accident at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to benefit the Team’s other driver. The Press Release came at a time when, as the Defendant knew, the FIA were investigating the circumstances of Mr Piquet Junior’s crash at the Singapore Grand Prix.
"The Defendant’s Press Release also suggested that the Claimants had not only lied in making these allegations but that they had deliberately invented them in order to blackmail the Defendant into allowing Mr Piquet Junior to drive for the Team for the remainder of the 2009 season, and they were therefore guilty of a serious criminal offense.
"The Defendant fully accepts – as it did before the World Motor Sport Council (“WMSC”) of the FIA and as found by the WMSC in its decision of 21 September 2009 – that the allegations made by Nelson Piquet Junior were not false. Renault F1 Team also accepts that Mr Piquet Junior and his father did not invent these allegations in order to blackmail the Team.
"As a result, these serious allegations contained in the Press Release were wholly untrue and unfounded, and the Defendant now withdraws them unreservedly. The Defendant is here through its lawyer in order to apologize to the Claimants unreservedly for this regrettable publication. As a mark of its apology and regret, the Defendant has agreed to pay the Claimants substantial damages and costs, as well as not to repeat these allegations at any time in the future.
"It is an unfortunate but not surprising consequence of the sensational nature of these allegations and their appearance on the Defendant’s website whilst the FIA was investigating the charges against the Defendant, that the allegations were widely republished throughout the press. It is hoped that through the making of this statement, the Defendant’s apology and unequivocal withdrawal of these allegations will also be picked up and repeated throughout the media.
"In the circumstances, having achieved everything they set out to achieve through the commencement of legal proceedings, the Claimants are now prepared to let the matter rest."
Renault meanwhile accepted the allegations and offered an apology.
The following formal statement was issued in the team's name:
RENAULT APOLOGY
"On 11th September 2009, Renault F1 Team Limited (“the Team”) issued a Press Release, which was repeated on our website, in which we suggested that Nelson Piquet Junior and his father had lied by making false allegations that members of the Team and Nelson Piquet Junior caused a deliberate accident at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. We also suggested that these lies were invented in order to blackmail the Defendant into allowing Mr Piquet Junior to drive for the Team for the remainder of the 2009 season, and he and his father were therefore guilty of a serious criminal offense.
"The Team accepts – as it did before the World Motor Sport Council (“WMSC”) of the FIA and as found by the WMSC in its decision of 21 September 2009 – that the allegations made by Nelson Piquet Junior were not false. It also accepts that Mr Piquet Junior and his father did not invent these allegations in order to blackmail the Team.
"As a result, these serious allegations contained in the Press Release were wholly untrue and unfounded, and we withdraw them unequivocally. We would like to apologize unreservedly to Mr Piquet Junior and his father for the distress and embarrassment caused as a result. As a mark of the sincerity of our apology and regret, we have agreed to pay them a substantial amount of damages for libel as well as their costs, and have undertaken not to repeat these allegations at any time in the future."
Adam Cooper notched up his 25th season as a racing journalist in 2009. Born in London, England, he saw his first F1 race at age 10 in 1976. He began freelancing for Autosport magazine in 1985 and was on the fulltime staff from 1987-92. He then went freelance again, initially spending two years in Japan before following the 1994 Champcar series from a base in Indianapolis. He has not missed a Grand Prix since Suzuka ‘94, a run that has extended to Abu Dhabi ’09. Adam has written books about Eddie Irvine, Piers Courage and Michael Schumacher and hosts a race preview show on Sirius XM. He has written about F1 for SPEED.com since 2005. Check out Adam's Blog or follow him on Twitter
The action in the London courts related to a press statement made by the team in September last year, shortly after the scandal came to light.
In announcing the result of the proceedings the Piquet family issued the following statement from lawyer Dominic Crossley:
“Today the Renault Formula One Team apologized in the High Court for defaming my two clients, the motor racing father and son Nelson and Nelsinho Piquet. This marks the start rather than the end of the long journey they are both taking to correct many of the wrongs that took place during last year’s “Crashgate” scandal.
"They were both treated appallingly by Renault F1 when they dared to reveal the scandal to the governing body; and Nelsinho was abused terribly throughout his absurdly short career in F1. It is to the immense credit of both my clients that they have refused to be deterred from righting the wrongs despite the ferocity of the attacks and the size of the opponents they have had to confront.
"Nelson Piquet dominated F1 during the early 80s and his reputation as a motorsport legend should remain untarnished by this saga. F1 has been deprived of the best of Nelsinho and it is to its detriment that his talent is now being demonstrated elsewhere.
"Whilst neither of them should ever have had to prove Renault F1’s allegations false they are both delighted with the successful conclusion of the case.”
In making their case in court, the Piquet's legal counsel said:
"Nelson Piquet Junior is a Professional Racing Driver and was one of the Defendant’s drivers until July 2009. His father, Nelson Piquet Senior, was also a well-known Formula One driver himself and three-time World Champion.
"On 11th September 2009, the Defendant issued a Press Release in which they suggested that Nelson Piquet Junior and his father had lied by making false allegations that he and members of the team had caused a deliberate accident at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to benefit the Team’s other driver. The Press Release came at a time when, as the Defendant knew, the FIA were investigating the circumstances of Mr Piquet Junior’s crash at the Singapore Grand Prix.
"The Defendant’s Press Release also suggested that the Claimants had not only lied in making these allegations but that they had deliberately invented them in order to blackmail the Defendant into allowing Mr Piquet Junior to drive for the Team for the remainder of the 2009 season, and they were therefore guilty of a serious criminal offense.
"The Defendant fully accepts – as it did before the World Motor Sport Council (“WMSC”) of the FIA and as found by the WMSC in its decision of 21 September 2009 – that the allegations made by Nelson Piquet Junior were not false. Renault F1 Team also accepts that Mr Piquet Junior and his father did not invent these allegations in order to blackmail the Team.
"As a result, these serious allegations contained in the Press Release were wholly untrue and unfounded, and the Defendant now withdraws them unreservedly. The Defendant is here through its lawyer in order to apologize to the Claimants unreservedly for this regrettable publication. As a mark of its apology and regret, the Defendant has agreed to pay the Claimants substantial damages and costs, as well as not to repeat these allegations at any time in the future.
"It is an unfortunate but not surprising consequence of the sensational nature of these allegations and their appearance on the Defendant’s website whilst the FIA was investigating the charges against the Defendant, that the allegations were widely republished throughout the press. It is hoped that through the making of this statement, the Defendant’s apology and unequivocal withdrawal of these allegations will also be picked up and repeated throughout the media.
"In the circumstances, having achieved everything they set out to achieve through the commencement of legal proceedings, the Claimants are now prepared to let the matter rest."
Renault meanwhile accepted the allegations and offered an apology.
The following formal statement was issued in the team's name:
RENAULT APOLOGY
"On 11th September 2009, Renault F1 Team Limited (“the Team”) issued a Press Release, which was repeated on our website, in which we suggested that Nelson Piquet Junior and his father had lied by making false allegations that members of the Team and Nelson Piquet Junior caused a deliberate accident at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. We also suggested that these lies were invented in order to blackmail the Defendant into allowing Mr Piquet Junior to drive for the Team for the remainder of the 2009 season, and he and his father were therefore guilty of a serious criminal offense.
"The Team accepts – as it did before the World Motor Sport Council (“WMSC”) of the FIA and as found by the WMSC in its decision of 21 September 2009 – that the allegations made by Nelson Piquet Junior were not false. It also accepts that Mr Piquet Junior and his father did not invent these allegations in order to blackmail the Team.
"As a result, these serious allegations contained in the Press Release were wholly untrue and unfounded, and we withdraw them unequivocally. We would like to apologize unreservedly to Mr Piquet Junior and his father for the distress and embarrassment caused as a result. As a mark of the sincerity of our apology and regret, we have agreed to pay them a substantial amount of damages for libel as well as their costs, and have undertaken not to repeat these allegations at any time in the future."
Adam Cooper notched up his 25th season as a racing journalist in 2009. Born in London, England, he saw his first F1 race at age 10 in 1976. He began freelancing for Autosport magazine in 1985 and was on the fulltime staff from 1987-92. He then went freelance again, initially spending two years in Japan before following the 1994 Champcar series from a base in Indianapolis. He has not missed a Grand Prix since Suzuka ‘94, a run that has extended to Abu Dhabi ’09. Adam has written books about Eddie Irvine, Piers Courage and Michael Schumacher and hosts a race preview show on Sirius XM. He has written about F1 for SPEED.com since 2005. Check out Adam's Blog or follow him on Twitter
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