Renault have been given a suspended permanent disqualification from Formula One after motor sport's governing body ruled on Nelson Piquet Jr's crash during last year's Singapore Grand Prix.

Piquet Jr claimed in sworn statements to the FIA he was ordered to crash his car a few hours prior to the sport's first night race, to aid the cause of team-mate Fernando Alonso.

Despite admitting the "unparalleled severity" merited permanent disqualification, the World Motorsport Council instead suspended the punishment for two years after taking into consideration the steps taken by Renault "to identify and address the failings within its team and condemn the actions of the individuals involved".

The FIA has effectively handed former Renault team principal Flavio Briatore a lifetime ban from motor sport, as well as determining he should not manage any drivers. There are four prominent F1 stars in his stable.

The Italian insisted no wrongdoing took place during last year's race in Singapore, but the council decided he was "complicit", also ruling that he continued "to deny his participation in the breach despite all the evidence".

Pat Symonds, who resigned from his role as the team's executive director of engineering last week, has been handed a five-year ban from motor sport. Briatore and Symonds parted company with Renault at the same time as the French car giant said they would not contest the charges.

Following the hearing at the FIA headquarters in Paris, the WMSC gave Symonds a more lenient sentence than Briatore as he accepted his part in the conspiracy, as well as communicating to the 26 members of the council that he participated in the event to his "eternal regret and shame".

The WMSC also confirmed the immunity from individual sanctions granted to Piquet Jnr, who apologised unreservedly for his part in the conspiracy, in exchange for volunteering his evidence. With regards to Alonso, who went on to win the race on September 28 last year, the Council thanked the double world champion for co-operating with the FIA's enquiries.

The Council concluded Alonso was not in any way involved in Renault F1's breach of the regulations.

Speaking after the hearing in relation to the penalty, FIA president Max Mosley said: "I think it's the right decision.

"I think the blame has been placed where the blame should be placed. The penalty we have imposed is the harshest one we can inflict, which is disqualification, and it is complete expulsion from the sport.

"However, because Renault have demonstrated they had absolutely no moral responsibility for what took place – that's to say Renault F1 the team didn't know, and still less of course the company – it would be wrong in the circumstances to impose an immediate penalty."

As to Briatore, Mosley added: "It's sad because he's been in motor sport for 20 years, more actually.

"It's sad to see a career end like that, but what else could we do?"

Renault, who will pay the cost of the FIA investigation, as well as contributing to its safety-related projects, said it accepted the council's decision.

A team statement added: "We apologise unreservedly to the F1 community in relation to this unacceptable behaviour."