Paris, France (My Sportsbook) - Renault avoided severe punishment Monday after the Formula One team admitted to intentionally causing a crash in last year's Singapore Grand Prix.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) handed Renault a two-year suspended ban during a special one-and-a-half hour hearing of the FIA's World Motor Sports Council in Paris.

Renault avoided permanent expulsion from F1, but the French team would be disqualified if found guilty of similar charges within the next two years.

Investigations by the Council and by Renault found that team principal Flavio Briatore and executive director of engineering Pat Symonds, both of whom have now left the team, planned the crash with driver Nelson Piquet Jr. in order to benefit the race strategy of Fernando Alonso, who went on to win. Neither Alonso nor any other Renault personnel were aware of the conspiracy.

In addition to Renault's suspended ban, the Council handed out hefty individual penalties to Briatore and Symonds. Briatore has been banned indefinitely from any involvement in FIA-sanctioned motorsports, while Symonds received a five-year suspension.

Piquet, who was fired by Renault in July, was granted immunity from sanction for volunteering his evidence in the investigation.

"Today, we fully accept the decision of the Council," Renault team president Bernard Rey said in a statement. "We apologize unreservedly to the F1 community in relation to this unacceptable behavior. We sincerely hope that we can soon put this matter behind us and focus constructively on the future."

The FIA accused Renault of conspiring Piquet to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore GP, with the aim of causing the deployment of the safety car to the advantage of Alonso. Piquet retired from F1's inaugural night race after hitting the wall on lap 14 of the 61-lap grand prix. Alonso, who started on a light fuel load, made his first pit stop prior to Piquet's accident. The subsequent safety car period helped Alonso move to the front of the field after starting 15th on the grid.

Renault apologized for their actions and agreed that the team should pay the costs of the investigation. It also accepted the offer of a significant contribution to the FIA's safety work.

"By way of background, as a result of our own inquiries, we informed the FIA last week that we would not defend the charges, and we accepted our responsibilities in relation to the incident in Singapore, and we immediately took appropriate action inside the team," Rey added.

Piquet also apologized to the Council for his part in the conspiracy.