Nelson Piquet has been sacked by Formula One team Renault after failing to pick up any points for the French team this season, the 24-year-old Brazilian announced on his website.

Piquet, without a win in 28 races, described his time with Renault as the worst period of his career and said he now wanted to start afresh and prove his driving credentials with a new team.

He also criticised his treatment by team boss Flavio Briatore.

"I want to say thanks to the small group who supported me and that I worked together at Renault F1, although it is obviously with great disappointment that I receive such news," Piquet, whose father won the world championship three times, said.

"I am a team player and there are dozens of people I have worked with in my career who would vouch for my character and talent, except unfortunately the person that has had the most influence on my career in Formula One."

Piquet accused the flamboyant Italian of unfair behaviour in his time driving alongside two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.

"On numerous occasions, 15 minutes before qualifying and races, my manager and team boss (Briatore) would threaten me, telling me if I didn't get a good result, he had another driver ready to put in my place.

"I have never needed threats before to get results. In 2008 I scored 19 points, finished once on the podium in second place, having the best debut year of a Brazilian driver in F1."

Despite promises from Briatore that things would be different in 2009, Piquet said nothing changed.

"A manager is supposed to encourage you, support you, and provide you with opportunities. In my case it was the opposite. Flavio Briatore was my executioner."

Michael Schumacher says he is calling off a much-anticipated Formula One comeback as a result of injuries sustained in a motorcycling accident earlier this year.

Schumacher says he has informed top Ferrari officials that he can no longer step in for Felipe Massa, whom he was set to replace for the remainder of the season.

The seven-time world champion says injuries to his head and back caused by the bike-accident have turned out to be still too severe.

The 40-year-old claims his neck cannot yet stand up to the stresses caused by Formula One racing.

Shameless triple post but without afro there is no-one else to discuss F1 with me.....

Unfortunately there has been some very bad news come out of Ferrari today, but it's not about Massa.....


:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(

I wonder how many of fans that bought tickets to Valencia expecting MS to be there will ask for their money back now?

Not too sure it's a bad thing. He could only have tarnished his legacy

None. The spanish love their racing and i'm pretty sure they wont give a shit if Schumacher is there or not. :lol:

Renault have been handed a two-year suspended ban by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) for ordering Nelson Piquet junior to crash in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

The verdict was handed down by the sport's governing body the International Automobile Federation (FIA) after a one-and-a-half-hour hearing at their Paris headquarters on Monday.

Renault were in the dock for conspiring with Piquet junior to cause a deliberate crash to help the Brazilian's teammate, Fernando Alonso, win the race.

The French outfit could have faced permanent exclusion from the sport over 'crashgate' as the affair became known but escaped that ultimate sanction after the departure of Piquet, team boss Flavio Briatore and chief engineer Pat Symonds.

As well as Renault's suspended ban, Briatore himself was handed an "unlimited" ban from the sport while Symonds was suspended for five years.

Piquet junior and Alonso were among those who appeared before the FIA hearing after which the 26 members of the World Motor Sports Council met to decide what action to take.

Alonso was cleared of any involvement in the conspiracy.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,26106878-5018892,00.html

Schumacher to drive for Mercedes GP in 2010?

Hang on to your hats, the F1 rumour mill is about to go into hyperdrive with reports suggesting Michael Schumacher could be tempted out of retirement to re-unite with Ross Brawn at the revamped Mercedes GP team in 2010.

The speculation is being fuelled by two main factors. First, Schumacher has left his role as an advisor to the Ferrari F1 team. Secondly, with Jenson Button seemingly destined for a seat at McLaren the scene is set for an all-German dream team in the new “Silver Arrows” at Mercedes GP.

Okay, sure, Schumacher still holds a key role at Ferrari’s road car department which may scupper any plans of an F1 comeback with the German giants. But, the seven time world champion could almost taste an F1 return earlier in the year when a Maranello red Formula One carrot was dangled in front of him in the form of a part time drive to cover for the injured Felipe Massa.

In the end, that chance was taken away due a neck injury he suffered earlier in the year. Would the promise a full time drive in a new German super-team, headed by his ex-Ferrari master tactician Ross Brawn, be enough to lure Schumacher back to the sport?

Norbert Haug, Mercedes motorsport chief, expects to announce the team’s driver pairing in the next couple of weeks. He’s not revealed any concrete plans to offer Schumacher a seat, but has said, “I think and hope we can announce something in the course of the next couple of weeks. We will do a very good job in that respect as well I can promise you – and maybe we can create some surprises.”

I must admit I am not one of Michael’s greatest fans, but even I can see how spectacularly awesome this would be for F1 were the Schumacher-Mercedes rumour to come true. Please let it be so.

It will be interesting to see how McLaren go with Button and Hamilton together. Two good drivers, but only one position for the main driver. i think they'll go with Hamilton.

At least the new points system is better than Bernie's gold medals.

It will be interesting to see how McLaren go with Button and Hamilton together. Two good drivers, but only one position for the main driver. i think they'll go with Hamilton.

That's an interesting notion dave. You don't think redbull will be competative? Why not?

Ferrari and McLaren struggled because their technical development departments have been lagging behind. Which is where Redbull and Virgin and to an extent Brawn did well last season. Though Brawn just walked in with a lot of money and bought the best stuff they could.

think they might actually back Button. He's a more tallented driver IMO and he has more experience than Hamilton.

Ferrari and McLaren struggled because the year before they were still fighting for the championship ans still developing the 08 cars while all the other teams were already working on the 09 cars.

Ferrari and McLaren struggled because the year before they were still fighting for the championship ans still developing the 08 cars while all the other teams were already working on the 09 cars.

Brawn were one of the few teams that ran so so called 'twin deck' diffuser.

So? That's down to the development departments. A good team would have the capacity to balance the two. Obviously they haven't.

They were also one of the few teams to get the KERS system up and running.

Yes I did and I was suprised to hear that. I really thought he wouldn't drive again on F1, especially with another team as well.

So Ferrari and McLaren aren't 'good' teams?

Actually, they weren't. Only Ferrari and McLaren ran with KERS all season. BMW had it for a couple then dumped it. Brawn and Red Bull didn't use it at all.

As soon as the other teams caught up, Brawn didn't have things anywhere near as easy. That's why Button didn't even win a race in the second half of the season.