Renault say they are launching legal action against Nelson Piquet Jr and his father Nelson Piquet over race-fixing allegations made against the team.
The team are accused of plotting with Piquet Jr to crash during last year's Singapore Grand Prix to aid team-mate Fernando's Alonso's path to victory.
Renault says the criminal proceedings being launched in France concern "the making of false allegations".
They also refer to a "related attempt to blackmail the team".
The French team says that the blackmail attempt was in relation to "allowing Mr Piquet Jr to drive for the remainder of the 2009 season," according to a statement released by them on Friday.
Piquet Jr was dismissed by Renault in early August.
Renault - who are also referring the matter to police in the UK - are to attend an extraordinary meeting of motorsport's governing body, the FIA, on 21 September to answer the race-fixing allegations made against them.
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It's difficult to understand for me all this situation and this investigation. It is just too incredible
Fernando Alonso
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If found guilty, the team could face severe sanctions which could include expulsion from the current F1 world championship.
A spokesperson for the Piquets said they had "no comment" to make following the Renault statement when asked by BBC Sport.
The FIA first started investigating the matter after the initial claim of fixing was made by a Brazilian TV station during the Belgian GP in August - but Renault, as they point out in their statement, "had not commented publicly during the investigation into this matter".
Piquet Jr has been outspoken in his criticism of Renault team boss Flavio Briatore since he was sacked after July's Hungarian GP.
There are media reports that the Brazilian driver has told the FIA that he was asked to crash by the team before the Singapore race, and that Renault in their evidence to the FIA investigators denied this.
Alonso won the Singapore GP in 2008 when Piquet crashed two laps after the Spaniard had come in for a routine pit stop.
That meant that when race officials sent out the safety car to clear up the debris from Piquet's car, Alonso was alone among the front-runners in not having to stop for fuel and tyres.
At the time, Piquet attributed the crash to a simple error.
Alonso, who is currently preparing for Sunday's Italian GP, said on Thursday that he was "very surprised" by the race-fixing charge levelled at Renault.
"I cannot imagine these things, these situations," he said. "It's something that never entered my mind.
"For me it's not even the time to think about, or to pay attention to, this.
"It's difficult to understand for me all this situation and this investigation. It is just too incredible."
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