Piquet relieved truth is out

The World Motor Sport Council has permanently disqualified Renault from F1, albeit suspended for two years, following breaches of the rules of "unparalleled severity" in last year's Singapore Grand Prix.

"Having dreamed of being a Formula One driver and having worked so hard to get there, I found myself at the mercy of Mr Briatore," said Piquet. "His true character, which had previously only been known to those he had treated like this in the past, is now known."

He added: "Mr Briatore was my manager, as well as the team boss. He had my future in his hands, but he cared nothing for it.

"By the time of the Singapore GP he had isolated me and driven me to the lowest point I had ever reached in my life. Now that I am out of that situation I cannot believe that I agreed to the plan, but when it was put to me I felt I was in no position to refuse.

"Listening now to Mr Briatore's reaction to my crash and hearing the comments he has made to the press over the last two weeks it is clear to me I was simply being used by him then to be discarded and left to ridicule."

The 26-man Council, spearheaded by FIA president Max Mosley, found Briatore to be complicit in the conspiracy that resulted in Piquet Jr deliberately crashing his Renault to the advantage of team-mate Fernando Alonso who went on to win the sport's first night race.

The WMSC has effectively banned Briatore from motor sport for life as they will not sanction any event involving the 59-year-old, nor grant a competition license to a team should they employ him.

Briatore's management career is also at an end as no driver will be granted a Superlicence - the document that allows them to compete - should they continue to associate themselves with the Italian.

Briatore currently has Alonso, Mark Webber, Heikki Kovalainen and Romain Grosjean, as well as Piquet Jr, under his wing, whilst he jointly runs GP2.