Flavio Briatore, the former boss of Enstone-based Renault, has been handed a lifetime ban, while his old team have been given a suspended disqualification following a ruling on Nelson Piquet Jnr's crash during last year's Singapore Grand Prix.

Piquet Jnr claimed in sworn statements to the FIA he was ordered to crash his car before the race to help teammate Fernando Alonso.

Despite admitting the “unparalleled severity” merited permanent disqualification, the World Motorsport Council (WMC) suspended the punishment on Renault for two years after taking into consideration the steps taken by the Oxon outfit “to address the failings within its team.”

The WMC have also decreed Briatore should not manage any drivers.

The Italian, whose position as co-owner at Queens Park Rangers FC is now under scrutiny, insisted no wrongdoing took place during last year's race in Singapore.

But the council decided he was “complicit”, also ruling that he continued “to deny his participation in the breach despite all the evidence”.

The WMC stated: “For an unlimited period, the FIA does not intend to sanction any international event, championship, cup, trophy, challenge or series involving Mr Briatore in any capacity whatsoever, or grant any licence to any team or other entity engaging Mr Briatore in any capacity.

“It also instructs all officials present at FIA-sanctioned events not to permit Briatore access to any areas under the FIA’s jurisdiction.”

Pat Symonds, who resigned as the team's executive director of engineering last week, received a five-year ban.

Following the hearing at the FIA in Paris, the WMSC gave Symonds a more lenient sentence as he accepted his part in the conspiracy.

A statement from Renault said: “We informed the FIA that we would not defend the charges and we accepted our responsibilities in relation to the incident in Singapore and we immediately took appropriate action.

“We fully accept the decision of the Council. We apologise unreservedly to the Formula 1 community in relation to this unacceptable behaviour.”