By Les Tan/Red Sports
Fernando Alonso, winner of the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix night race. In the background is his team mate Nelson Piquet Jr. Did they “kelong”? (Photo © Van/Red Sports file photo)
It is amazing to read that the International Automobile Federation (FIA) is investigating claims that the Renault team ordered one of their drivers, Nelson Piquet Jr, to crash deliberately.
The crash allowed his teammate Fernando Alonso, who had pitted early, to vault from 15th to 4th place in the race after the safety car came out. Alonso was eventually a surprise winner of the Singapore race, the first night race in the F1 calendar.
As a Singaporean, all I can say is, “Damn suay, lor.”
Now the words “kelong” (A colloquail Malay word that means ‘cheating’) and “Singapore” will be discussed in the same breath for however long this whole investigation will take.
What a calamitous sport – and we are paying so much money to host it.
Singapore is estimated to be paying a fee of S$52 million per race and one Singapore GP costs S$150 million, with the Singapore government footing 60% or $90 million. Singapore is contracted to hold four more races.
Then, after we join, everyone starts to leave.
The Canadians, French and the Americans stopped hosting F1 races because they decided they weren’t suckers enough to pay so much to organise it. Built on a foundation of massive debt, the organisers of F1 found in India, South Korea, Singapore and Abu Dhabi parties willing to pay premium prices for new races.
Then, the car manufacturers started packing up to leave.
Before the start of this year’s championship, Honda pulled out. BMW is leaving at the end of the year. With this latest race-fixing investigation, Renault will leave too to rebuild its shattered reputation.
Now, fewer people want to go.
The ticket sales for this year are off the pace of last year. Last year, 100,000 tickets were sold. This year, selling 80,000 tickets will be considered a success. Whole section of stands aren’t even available for sale this year (see graphics below).
Maybe they should just run F1 like the World Wrestling Entertainment – everyone know it’s fixed, but at least they know.
The 2008 map with the seats in red.
The 2009 circuit map with fewer seats in red. Four large areas of seating available in 2008 are now gone. Zone 2 will see the largest block of seats not coming back.
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Flavio Briatore and his deputy Pat Symonds have left Renault following allegations of race-fixing. To me this is the clearest admitance of guilt without actually pleading guilty.
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/16092009/58/briatore-symonds-leave-renault.html
So yes, it is kelong.
@ les
That is correct. Piquet Jr was sacked earlier this year and while nothing was suggested in the media, I am pretty sure that this investigation is linked to him reporting Renault to FIA. Then again, I understand that the Piquet was very unhappy about the sacking. Maybe it was his attempt to slander his former employees?
@kar-teck: The investigation was prompted by his remarks to FIA right? So either he is lying (and slandering) or there is some truth to his allegation. Wonder which it is.
@Les – He was defo not at 200km/h, he was slowly crawling out of the bend and then went into the barriers the next moment, which was why it looked bizarre. If they had planned for the crash then we wouldn’t have to worry for him, they would have equipped him and the car for the crash/impact anyway… just like doing a car crash stunt ; )
@Jan – Ah, I see. I didn’t think much of it then. Man, crashing a car at over 200km/h on purpose is still a bizarre idea to me.
@Les – Yeah and I think I wrote about it, the crash was a bizarre one if you remember – no cars were near or around him, he was not at high speed because he just did a bend then immediately (and bewilderingly) he drove straight into the barriers! And the timing of the crash was just way too perfect for Alonso’s benefit? Alonso wouldn’t have had a chance at the title if not for that crash.
F1 drivers do learn to crash ‘gracefully’ against the barracks in case of technical failures. And Piquet had one of those “perfect” crash – in a matter of seconds, he got out of the car unassisted (and in very good shape in fact) DASHED across the track, which left the commentator shocked. Climbed across some barriers and joined his crew – when I saw that I just went, ‘Totally scripted’.
Just like how WWE’s wrestlers have techniques to punch/dunk each other without killing each other. Its not very difficult for the Renault team to coordinate this crash stunt from the mechanics room where they could see the whole race map out and just have to ‘signal’ through the audio to Piquet to “get ready”, “crash now”! No one else besides the team would know of the ‘strategy’ anyway. : )
Whoa, u.les I didn’t really think there was anything more to the crash too.
@hong yong: Yeah, me too. I mean, who wants to risk their own neck to crash on purpose? It beggars belief.
@jan – you mean you suspected something? I was oblivious…
@kar-teck – The whole championship is not rigged, of course. I just find it amazing that such an allegation has come out.
I suppose it’s not easy to hide a conspiracy. Piquet started blabbing only when he got fired this year, right?
Les, to suggest that F1 is rigged is harsh. The allegation here is that Nelson Piquet had deliberately crashed into someone else to allow Alonso to win the race. This is akin to Eduardo diving and earning a penalty for his team, but definitely not suggesting Arsenal had thrown a game.
I noted your negative sentiments on F1.
The sport is at a crossroad at the moment because of the financial crisis but I think so is a lot of other sports. Since Singapore is contractually committed for a few more years – give F1 a chance?
It took them ONE whole year to figure this out?! Tell me there is no conspiracy theory – I’m not buying it.