Renault, Piquet do not comment on crash cheat claims

Renault and its sacked former driver Nelson Piquet on Monday would not comment on reports the FIA is investigating the Brazilian's crash in the Singapore Grand Prix last year.

On Sunday at Spa-Francorchamps, it was reported by Brazil's TV Globo broadcaster that Piquet, replaced by rookie Romain Grosjean before the recent European Grand Prix, crashed in Singapore because he had been asked to.

The incident brought out the safety car and triggered the strategy chaos that sped his teammate Fernando Alonso to the top of the podium.

Without mentioning the night race or the French team specifically, the FIA told media that "an investigation is underway regarding alleged events at a previous world championship race".

The spokesperson's quote was given directly in response to enquiries about the Piquet/Singapore claims.

In an article on Monday by the British newspaper The Guardian entitled 'Renault may quit formula over new cheating claim', representatives of both Renault and Piquet, 23, did not comment.

"A spokeswoman for the (Renault team) said today that there would be no comment," said the report, adding that spokesmen for Piquet also "said he would be making no comment".