Piquet Sr. informed FIA last year
Nelson Piquet Sr. has revealed that he first informed the FIA about the Singapore Grand Prix race fix claims at last year's race in Brazil - but no action could be taken until his son made an official statement about the matter
As further details about the race-fixing case continue to emerge ahead of Monday's FIA World Council hearing into the matter, Piquet claimed that he first brought the case to the attention of F1 race director Charlie Whiting at Interlagos in 2008.
British newspaper The Daily Mirror published extracts of an interview that Piquet Sr. conducted with Martin Smith of investigators Quest on August 17 this year where he talked about bringing the matter to light.
"When this thing happened in Singapore I couldn't believe it. I'd done motor racing for all my life," Piquet was quoted as saying.
"I couldn't believe this thing. And after I called Nelson and Nelson said yes they asked me if I could help and this and that. I said 'but you could have hurt yourself and if you didn't hurt yourself you could have hurt somebody else' and he said 'yeah, I know it's wrong' but anyway.
"Anyway in Brazil I talk to Charlie."
He added: "I got him and I said 'look, what could happen to Nelson if I bring this up?' And I was afraid to screw up the career of Nelson."
Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera has also published different extracts of the interview, and it suggests that Whiting told Piquet the matter 'could not be proved."
When Piquet later told FIA president Max Mosley, he said the response was: "Charlie has already informed me but we can't prove anything unless someone comes to tell me the facts."
It was only when Piquet Jr. made a testimony to FIA officials in the week after this year's Hungarian Grand Prix that action could officially begin from the governing body to investigate the matter.
The Piquets are having legal action taken against them by former Renault boss Flavio Briatore for blackmail - something Piquet Sr. is not too worried about.
Speaking to German magazine Auto Motor Und Sport, Piquet said: "Let him go ahead. I have the money to afford the best lawyers. And against what he wants to complain about? Against the truth?"
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