Renault F1 chiefs quit

The news comes as the team have decided not to contest the recent allegations made against them, that they conspired with then driver Nelson Piquet Junior to cause a crash at last year's Singapore Grand Prix.

Despite Briatore's assertion during last weekend's Italian Grand Prix of no wrongdoing, the departure of the team's managing director and executive director of engineering would now appear to point to their guilt.

Despite this latest astonishing twist in the 'crashgate' scandal, the extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council scheduled for Monday at the FIA's headquarters in Paris will still go ahead.

Although Briatore and Symonds have fallen on their sword, and their actions will be taken into account, the WMSC may still impose severe sanctions on the team now they have chosen not to launch a defence.

The FIA charged Renault with "conspiring with its driver, Nelson Piquet Jnr, to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix with the aim of causing the deployment of the safety car to the advantage of its other driver, Fernando Alonso".

Alonso went on to take the chequered flag at Formula One's first night race, his first victory for two years, and at a time when Renault were considering quitting the sport.

The French manufacturer will almost certainly plead for clemency from the FIA as they will claim the actions of two men should not affect the employment of almost 700 other staff within the team.

The FIA have the power to exclude Renault from the championship, although it is anticipated such a strict penalty will not be administered.

The welter of evidence against Briatore and Symonds was damning in the wake of Piquet Jnr providing the FIA's investigation team with two statements detailing what transpired in Singapore.

The 24-year-old claimed that, in a meeting with Briatore and Symonds a few hours before the race, he was told to crash his car, and, in a further discussion with the latter, at what point on the circuit.

Piquet Jnr, fearing for his future with the team, followed through with the order on lap 14, and at turn 17 of the Singapore track, a point where no crane was on hand, so forcing the intervention of the safety car.

As Alonso had pitted two laps earlier, the safety car period played into the double world champion's hands, allowing him to claim the victory.

Although suspicions were roused at the time, the matter did not start to surface until just over a fortnight ago at the Belgian Grand Prix.

The claim is Nelson Piquet Snr, in the wake of his son being axed by Renault after the Hungarian Grand Prix at the end of July, informed the FIA of what unfolded.

The FIA's investigations led them to offer Piquet Jnr immunity against prosecution in return for his testimony.

Telemetry data was especially significant as it showed Piquet Jnr accelerating into the crash, rather than braking as a driver would ordinarily do.

It is understood the FIA also offered Symonds immunity; however, it is now clear he declined, opting instead to follow Briatore out of the exit door.

Briatore's departure brings to an end the career of one of the sport's most colourful characters.

The flamboyant 58-year-old Italian started out at Benetton in 1988, overseeing Michael Schumacher's world title triumphs in 1994 and 1995, again in the role of managing director.

In 2005 and 2006, as team principal at Renault, Briatore helped the French manufacturer and Alonso become world champions.

Eddie Jordan believes there must have been "clear-cut evidence" of wrongdoing at Renault for Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds to leave and the team to drop their challenge against allegations they attempted to manipulate the result of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

Former team owner Jordan told BBC Radio Five Live: "The FIA seemed to have clear-cut evidence that what is alleged is what has actually happened.

"And as a result of today, with the standing down of these two people, or Renault letting them go, I get the impression there was clear-cut evidence that it was no longer tenable that they could stay in.

"Renault, by suggesting they're not going to contest the allegation, it is in itself an admission - or that's how I see it. Legally there may be a different argument of course.

"But as a normal person on the street I think this is a clear-cut admission and I am surprised."

Jordan added: "This is a story that even in your mindset you couldn't set up.

"How would you go to tell a driver, 'Look if you want to keep your seat you've got to do this'.

"The ramifications with the safety, safety of the marshals, the safety of the driver ... you're asking someone to do something that is absolutely ridiculous.

"I ran a team for nearly 30 years and I can't comprehend that is even part of the agenda.

"I don't know how desperate they were.

"In the Jordan team you could contemplate all sorts of things but certainly you wouldn't contemplate that."

Jordan does not expect Renault to be thrown out of Formula One, suggesting the departure of two of the team's top men may have been part of "a pact".

Discussing Italian businessman Briatore, who is a co-owner of Coca-Cola Championship club QPR, Jordan said: "While he's a good guy socially and well respected, now people will look on it in a different way.

"Will the FA allow him to continue to run a club?

"The ramifications in this for Flavio are very extreme, very difficult, and he will be devastated by what he's had to do."

Former grand prix winner John Watson believes the position of both Symonds and Briatore at the Anglo-French team had become untenable.

"I think the fact that Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds have left the team was the only solution to Renault," Watson told BBC Radio Five Live.

"There's no question about 'did they jump?' - they were clearly pushed out.

"A company on the scale of Renault, a world-scale motor company... could not afford to have a scandal of this magnitude rattling around in the boardroom.

"It was just totally untenable. There was no option from what I've seen."