Renault chief offered deal in crash inquiry

Pat Symonds, Flavio Briatore's No2 at the Renault F1 team, has been offered immunity from punishment by the FIA if he helps them investigate the 'Crashgate' scandal.

Symonds, director of engineering at Renault, has been told by the sport's governing body that if he provides full disclosure of the incident - involving allegations that Nelson Piquet junior was told to crash during last season's Singapore Grand Prix - he will escape sanctions, which could include a life ban from the sport.

Piquet, who claims he was told to crash to help his team-mate Fernando Alonso, who went on to win the race, has already been given immunity.

If Symonds agrees, team principal Briatore will be the only person directly involved in the scandal who does not have immunity when the FIA hearing into the claims is heard next Monday.

After studying what has been described as "unusual telemetry data" from Piquet's car the FIA believe the claims made by the driver, who was fired by Renault earlier this season, have substance.

Briatore and Renault deny the claims and are taking legal action against Piquet and his father.