24 Sep 2009

Renault say they want to stay in F1

5:47 am on 24 September 2009

Renault have told Formula One's governing body they want to stay in the sport and will make changes in their team to ensure a race-fixing controversy never happens again.

They have also withdrawn criminal proceedings in France against Brazilian driver Nelson Piquet and his father, a triple world champion and namesake, for false accusations and attempted blackmail.

The former champions, who were handed a suspended permanent ban earlier this week, made their position clear in documents posted on the FIA website.

Flavio Briatore and his engineering head Pat Symonds left the team last week before the FIA's hearing in Paris and have yet to be replaced.

Media speculation has suggested France's former champion and team owner Alain Prost could be appointed team principal.

The race-fixing controversy came to light after Piquet was dismissed by the team and told the FIA he had crashed deliberately in last year's Singapore Grand Prix in a plot with Briatore and Symonds to help team mate Fernando Alonso win.

Renault did not contest the allegations and said in a letter that the conspirators were on "a frolic of their own", acting against the interests of the team and sport in general.

Williams team owner Frank Williams, who won championships with Renault engines in the 1990s and has been linked to them again for 2010, sent a letter of support for the French carmaker.