Hill: It's a crying shame

Former world champion Damon Hill has criticised the FIA’s decision to give Renault a suspended ban over the ‘crashgate’ affair, labeling the penalty as 'a crying shame for the sport'.

At an extraordinary hearing of the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) in Paris yesterday, the French manufacturer escaped expulsion from the world championship over charges, which the FIA said were of 'unparrallled severity.'

Speaking to the Times newspaper, the 1996 world champion slammed the FIA’s decision, saying that this demonstrates an inconsistency in the governing body’s treatment of such breaches.

'I'm not surprised they've let Renault off,' Hill was quoted as saying.

'It's a crying shame for the sport.

'You have to put this in the context of inconsistencies in the way in which the FIA has treated breaches of the regulations over the years and, knowing what we know, we cannot dissociate this from the power play going on behind the scenes for control of F1.

'Formula one has to ask itself, is it just a very expensive form of entertainment or a proper sport?

'There is a whole book on what's wrong with Formula 1. It's called Bernie's Game and the history of this episode is typical.'