Renault Might Follow Toyota Out

"Renault is to discuss pulling out of Formula 1 at an emergency board meeting in Paris on Wednesday.

The French car company will decide whether to remain in the sport with its own team, switch to simply being an engine supplier or quit altogether.

The news comes on the day that Toyota announced its decision to quit F1, becoming the third car company to leave the sport in the last 11 months.

Renault is not expected to make public its decision on Wednesday."

[news.bbc.co.uk]

The way its going it seems we'll be back at 10 teams for next season... Bad news for Kubica anyway if this does happen.

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me thinks Fernando Alonso made a good move

Oh for @#$%& sake.

Bye!

Too bad Lola did giveup with F1 plans and Prodrive already seems to have new big project..

Kimi, so, Massa Fernando Sebastian is faster than you. Can you confirm you understood that message?

Epsilon Euskadi?

Just like with Toyota, I'd imagine a new privately-owned team will come in and take their place.

@#$%& prima donna factory teams. How stupid would FOTA be looking now if they'd gone ahead and formed a breakaway series?

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This the exact reason why the teams should not have more influence. You can't rely on them staying. How can something help to govern if you don't even know if it's likely to stay?

Sweet. Lets let them leave. Costs will have to be lowered to fill the grid and we'll be back to privateer entries. Awesome!

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With the new private teams we've already got confirmed for next year, plus the two more we're looking like getting now, that means at least half the entries next year should be privateers doesn't it? There's a damn good feeling about that.

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And some of our privateers might still fall out before start of season.

I also heard Force India beleaves Lotus is using their VJM-02 model as base for their own car. FI left their model to Aerolab company wich is currently working on Lotus F1 project with Gascoyne. Who knows how this will end..

Kimi, so, Massa Fernando Sebastian is faster than you. Can you confirm you understood that message?

Isnt the dispute also involving Mike aswell as Fondtech???

tbh what's their argument? Mike will have played some sort of role in the initial design of the 09 Force India... It's almost like Mclaren disputing some of the past RedBulls which happen to look like Mclarens :s...

Anyway, has it been confirmed FI are looking into it? If so, its a major waste of time and resources.

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"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL

Not too happy about this one. Good riddance for Toyota, but Renault... I wouldn't like to see Kubica go next year, plus it would be one engine less on the field. Not cool. We all saw it coming though, can't say Renault is the most committed team on the grid, can we?

IWE Wrote:
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> And some of our privateers might still fall out
> before start of season.

Possible, yes, but much less likely, considering that they'll be operating on much smaller budgets than the factory teams, and that they'll be in it for the racing, rather than to make money and sell cars, so their motivation not to drop out will be much greater.

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I would be very disappointed if this eventuated. Unlike Toyota, Renault/Benetton have a long history in the sport, and it would be good to keep them.

Also, it would be a very surprising time to quit, as not only do they now have Kubica, and probably Glock for 2010 (i.e. finally a two-driver line up that could return them to the front), but they endured the hard part (i.e. the scandal), but then left when they had passed through the storm

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X (@ed24f1)

mr.napa-br Wrote:
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> can't say Renault is the most committed team on the grid, can we?

And never have been. This would be the 4th time they've quit as either a team and/or engine supplier. Still, they've achieved far more than in their previous team effort, winning 2 drivers titles, 2 constructors titles and have employed the best driver on the grid. Twice.

Agreed with most here. It'd a shame to lose them. I was looking forward to seeing what they would have done next year given their turbulent 2009 and subsequent restructuring.

Of course, somewhat ironically Flavio was rumoured to be interesting in taking over the team had Renault pulled the plug, and while it's right for F1 that he can't, it's a shame that all those employees might lose their jobs because of his greed.

They're probably a more attractive team to purchase than Toyota though. I presume their running costs are, on average, far lower than Toyota's (though I know Renault running costs have peaked recently, but that hasn't been the trend) and they have won 4 titles in the past 5 years, so the know how is there to make very strong cars.

Frantic Wrote:
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> Epsilon Euskadi?

Sadly no:
[en.f1-live.com]

Much as I do prefer a return to privateer teams, I hope Renault stays - they've just about managed to ride the storm but I'd like them to stick around to rebuild their reputation which I really think they could - it would be good for the team members themselves, good for the company and it would be good for F1.

I had seen rumours that Renault may sell the team rather than close it, but this news looks promising:
[en.f1-live.com]

Hasn't Redbull already confirmed Renault engines for next year? Renault would have to remain as an engine supplier at least until that contract runs out.

Please not a another one!

When Renault doesn't want a own race team, they should sell the stuff to Epsilon Euskadi and give them + Red Bull engines.

Shooting down speculation to the contrary, Renault's F1 managing director Jean-Francois Caubet insists a working budget for 2010 has been approved and the team will race in Formula One next year.

Following the announcement of Toyota's departure on Wednesday, the Renault board met in Paris, triggering reports that the French carmaker could be the next to quit F1.

But Caubet told the sports daily L'Equipe: "We have already contracted our drivers, had our budget approved and are enrolled in the world championship. Season 2010 has begun already."

He said Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn has also laid out his expectations for Renault's 2010 season; that the team "returns to a good level".

"We will not be world champions in 2010, but we do have hopes to be much improved," Caubet said.

Vandusk Wrote:
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> Please not a another one!
>
> When Renault doesn't want a own race team, they
> should sell the stuff to Epsilon Euskadi and give
> them + Red Bull engines.

Even if yet another team pulls out of Formula One, it is now too late for Epsilon Euskadi to be ready to compete in F1 next year.

"The project has been stopped for two months so it is not possible," Joan Villadelprat told Spain's Radio Marca. "The car would not be ready in time.

"What we could do is take up the work already carried out by one of the other new teams if they are not ready," he added.

However, Villadelprat ruled out buying Toyota's Cologne operation.

"It has many, many jobs and a very big structure; a bag too heavy to carry," he added.

Trido Wrote:
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> Hasn't Redbull already confirmed Renault engines
> for next year? Renault would have to remain as an
> engine supplier at least until that contract runs
> out.

As far as I know, they announced that they plan to continue with Renault, but I don't think that they have signed a contract yet.


Great to see Renault sticking around. Its interesting that they announced they have "contracted our drivers" - a plural. Glock should be announced soon then, hopefully. I think with that driver line-up, they are a good chance of providing a few surprises in 2010.

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X (@ed24f1)