WMSC set to change rules
The World Motor Sport Council appear set to review their policy in relation to punishing team members following the latest scandal to blight Formula One.
It is understood the Council are to address the matter in Paris on Monday once they have reviewed their case, and issued any penalty, against Renault over charges of conspiracy relating to last year's Singapore Grand Prix.
In deciding not to dispute the allegation made by the FIA, Renault have effectively admitted conspiring with then driver Nelson Piquet Junior of causing a crash to the advantage of Fernando Alonso, but it is only Renault who will stand before the 26 members of the Council, headed by FIA president Max Mosley in one of his last acts of office before stepping down on October 23.
Piquet Jnr was offered immunity against prosecution in return for the testimony he provided in the form of two statements in which he stood by the claim he was asked to crash.
Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds will also now not attend after they on Wednesday resigned from their posts as team principal and executive director of engineering respectively.
Under FIA regulations, as neither Briatore nor Symonds are no longer associated with a licence holder - that applies to drivers and teams only - no formal action may be taken against them under the International Sporting Code.
Two years ago following the 'spygate' case, the FIA had threatened to issue a lifetime ban against Nigel Stepney, the former Ferrari engineer alleged to have passed on his team's technical secrets to a then member of McLaren's staff, Mike Coughlan.
On that occasion, the only course of action open to the FIA was to recommend to their licensees not to professionally collaborate with Stepney without conducting appropriate due diligence regarding his suitability for involvement in international motor sport.
It is also why the Council were unable to pursue Dave Ryan over his involvement in 'liegate' earlier this season as he was sacked from his role as McLaren sporting director prior to the case being heard by the WMSC.
Although the Council have unlimited power when it comes to imposing a penalty against Renault, they are now powerless to act against Briatore and Symonds, despite the severity of the case.
