Renault "will stop supplying engines to Formula 1 teams as soon as possible," according to Andrew Benson of the BBC.
Renault Chair & CEO Carlos Ghosn also "hinted the company's relationship with Red Bull is likely to end this year."
Ghosn: "We have already alerted the F1 authorities and told them: 'Don't count on us as a provider of an engine -- it's over.'"
Renault "is in the process of trying to negotiate a takeover of the cash-strapped Lotus team."
But Ghosn said that there "was still a possibility the company could walk away from F1." He said, "Our future is the subject of detailed analysis and renegotiating. We will either exit or run our own team. We don't have a clear decision yet." Red Bull is doing "necessary due diligence" in talking to other engine suppliers, with the team expected "to use Ferrari power next year after failing to come to an agreement with Mercedes."
Ghosn said Renault would "honour our contracts" but admitted the company was renegotiating "so it's too early to say what's going to be the conclusion." Red Bull's "treatment of Renault during the previous six years had been instrumental" in the decision. Ghosn: "Unfortunately when we were winning championships the Renault name was never mentioned. It was the team that was winning. So we started to feel the return on this investment was very weak" (BBC, 9/16). In London, Paul Weaver reported Ferrari already provides engines for Sauber and Manor, as well as for itself and "would be favourites to replace Renault at Red Bull." Red Bull’s sister team, Toro Rosso, which has had a "fruitful relationship with Ferrari in the past, could follow them."
As the Italians "have already signed a contract to supply power units for Haas," which will join F1 next year, that could mean Ferrari "supplying seven of the 11 teams in 2016" (GUARDIAN, 9/16). The London DAILY MAIL reported for its part, Renault is "expected to roll out a series of upgrades at one of the coming races" -- likely the Russian Grand Prix -- but Red Bull said that "they may not even use it." Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner: "It's a possibility. It depends on the value of the update. What you have to calculate is the increase performance worth the deficit of grid positions?" (DAILY MAIL, 9/16).
CRASH CAM: AUTOSPORT's Lawrence Barretto reported a high-speed camera to assist with accident investigation in F1 "is on schedule to be introduced for the start of pre-season testing next March."
Speculation surrounding the cause of Fernando Alonso's testing accident at Barcelona earlier this year "was partly fuelled by the lack of clear video footage showing what happened."
The FIA "mandated the use of the camera on all cars from 2016 and tasked electronics company Magneti Marelli with producing the device" (AUTOSPORT, 9/16)
