Flavio Briatore’s fate was sealed by Witness X

The evidence that sealed the fates of Renault's team principal Flavio Briatore and chief engineer Pat Symonds in the Crashgate investigation by Formula 1's governing body the FIA came from a whistleblower in the team who was labelled Witness X.
 
The Renault man was privy to the conspiracy that saw Nelson Piquet Jr (above) instructed to crash at last year's Singapore Grand Prix but not part of it. He was granted anonymity by the FIA, and his identity is known only to its president Max Mosley - a good man to keep a secret, perhaps, bearing in mind his recent legal tribulations about privacy with the News of the World.
 
Witness X's existence was revealed last Thursday during the team's internal investigation into the affair ahead of Monday's FIA meeting which banished Briatore indefinitely from the sport and saw Symonds banned for five years.
 
"Renault F1 has concluded that the following had knowledge of the conspiracy to cause a safety car [incident]: Nelson Piquet Jr, Pat Symonds [the then head of engineering], Flavio Briatore and Witness X," said a Renault statement sent to the FIA on Saturday.
 
The statement said Witness X objected to the idea of a purposeful crash and "did not know the plan was to be carried into effect until the crash happened. As a result of the evidence, including Mr Piquet's admission, Mr Symonds' responses and Witness X's evidence, Renault F1 concluded that they and Mr Briatore must have known about the conspiracy."
 
There is much speculation in F1 circles as to the identity of Witness X, (HL 1) with internet messageboards suggesting that it could be Fernando Alonso, the team’s main driver (and the man who benefitted from Piquet’s crash in Singapore, going on to win the race). Symonds' name is also mentioned, because he had been offered immunity by the FIA to testify.
 
Meanwhile Briatore is considering whether to appeal against his sanction, which in essence will see him banned from the sport for life. He told Italian sports newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport that he was "distraught", and is reported to be taking legal action against the FIA. ·