F1 awaits Renault decision
November 4, 2009 by SJ Skid
Filed under Prime & Option, SJ Skid
There is a lot of hyperbole surrounding today’s Renault “emergency meeting” to discuss its future in Formula 1.
Given Toyota’s exit, and Bridgestone’s promised departure after 2010, it is easy to see why people would be expecting the worst.
All the headlines have not helped. The spin, naturally, is “Renault considers F1 exit” or the like.
Putting my dusty journalist hat on, I think that is true, and mostly valid, but for the past month the signs have been pointing in the direction of Renault staying in F1. The team said it would be staying, after its Singapore crisis, and then went out and signed Robert Kubica as a solid replacement for the departing Fernando Alonso.
The latest is we will not be hearing anything official today.
In the past few hours, however, I have seen some of the more mainstream press harden their position on a Renault exit. My best example is the BBC.
Earlier, it posted a blog entry that suggested Renault would decide to stay. It even noted that we might see Timo Glock announced as Kubica’s partner on Thursday. [I mentioned that blog in a post here on a different topic.]
The current BBC story doesn’t mention Glock, and overall seems to be learning more toward a Renault pull-out:
Renault have held an emergency board meeting in Paris to discuss pulling out of Formula 1 with immediate effect.
The French car company was considering whether to remain in the sport with its own team, switch to simply being an engine supplier or quit altogether.
The outcome of Wednesday’s meeting was not immediately forthcoming.
News of Renault’s possible exit comes on the day Toyota said it was quitting F1, becoming the third car company to leave the sport in the last 11 months.
Renault’s emergency board meeting was attended by F1 team bosses Bob Bell and Jean-Francois Caubet, although neither man was allowed to take part in the debate about the team’s future.
Renault have had their least competitive F1 season since 2001 and finished eighth out of 10 teams in the constructors’ championship after Sunday’s final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.
We will keep watching the rumor mill. But it does look like it will be Thursday before we hear officially.
Loading ...
Oh, this is a no brainer. The Emergency meeting is to get Glock or Kobe signed before another team gets them. DUH.
As for them leaving F1? Yeah, I’ll believe that when BMW leaves.
*Fingers in the ears LALALALALALALA*
Unlike Toyota, Renault is seriously involved in ladder series that serve F1 and compete on the same tracks. In addition, if Red Bull has decided to retain Renault engines, then the manufacturer at minimum would be staying as a supplier.
That is part of why I was convince Renault would stay … now the conventional wisdom seems to be wavering.
The problem here is that the decision relies on the black suit guys, not the racing people or those who really know how “bad” the economic situation is; I imagine the meeting is to decide which approach would improve the brand trust and support from the general public…
“Why should we stay in F1 if our competitors are gone, showing some “responsability” by saving customer’s money”. “I think if we stay we will send the message that wasting money in racing goes against the worldwide concept of “saving” money we will need later on”…..
It’s difficult to play some sort of logic game to foresee Renault’s soon-to-be-announced decision; Honda has shown how ilogic, irrational and failed was their’s, let’s see about BMW and Toyota. If Renault leaves F1, it would be the first manufacturer team in the list who knows how to built a winning car. The horrible 09 season Renault just had had may be a strong point in favor of those black suit guys who wants to dump F1… a good one? No Brawn and Macca has shown how fast you can turn things up -Renault did the same in 08-.
Another big obstacle Renault may have to tackle is the legal engagement with F1 ’til 2012. It could be that leaving too soon may be much more expensive than staying three more years and then sell the team to a privateer….Flav
Think about the facilities -cars and engines- you’re just closing
Think about the human factor
Think about the image of the corporation, look at Honda now
Think twice….at least before leaving F1