Renault F1 – Abiteboul: “Having a team or being a supplier are two different things”

Renault is found at a crossroads. After the rumors of recent days that the French company was in contact with some Formula 1 teams to negotiate a possible acquisition to return to the Circus as 360° team, Renault will now have to give answers to Red Bull to define the intertwined destinies of these two realities. And the first to burn ties could be the Austrian team: in this case in the next Grands Prix the Viry engineer will not be able to give clear signs of recovery, it seems to be increasingly certain as their paths will inevitably go their separate ways.

Should it reduce the gap from the competition, however, even if the tensions do not disappear suddenly, the discontent could temporarily dissipate: “Red Bull wants of certainties, wants to know if we have the real ability to catch up on our opponents and we, like Renault, need the certainty of being able to do so – Cyril Abiteboul commented to his Austosport colleagues – At the moment the best thing we can do is imagine that we will continue on this road, that our partnership It will go on. This will give us the best chance of achieving success quickly, but in parallel we are also working on the future."

Renault wants to compete in Formula 1 if that suits them the chance to win. But to achieve these results, visibility and therefore commercial income are needed. This is why in recent months Renault has been linked, on more than one occasion, to a possible acquisition of Toro Rosso, Lotus or Manor. Rumors that remain such but which Abiteboul has not denied: "Having your own team or being just a supplier is a situation completely different as regards commercial revenues – continued the Frenchman – With your own team you are able to have income from sponsors, from FOM, from merchandising. In the past, we have been a team and we know how expensive this whole operation can be. We are not talking about a short-term project as this is currently our main interest is to produce engines".

Eleonora Ottonello
@lapisinha