German Car Zone

Something you can't take from Toyota and Honda is that they pulled out with dignity, the boss is saying "I offer my deepest apologies to Toyota's many fans for not being able to achieve the results we had targeted." just like Honda, and moreover they signed the concorde agreement even though they won't compete next year, just to garantee the future of the team. BMW on the other hand never had such class.

A similar expression of emotional disappointment was forthcoming from FHI's chairman when he announced Subaru's withdrawal from WRC.

Awaiting Renault SA supervisory board decision ... They are holding a meeting right now, discussing Renault F1 Team's future.

Since the Renault director's board has already approved the RF1 activities for 2010 Season, the SB meeting can only result in overturning the decision of the directors. I doubt urgent SB meeting with F1 agenda would be hold only to support the directors' decision on F1.

But I could be wrong ... We shall see. In a few hours. Or even minutes.

If Renault was to pull out, they would have announced their exit several weeks ago. Now it's a bit too late with Kubica and other important contracts already signed. It would badly hurt Renault's corporate image if they decided to leave the sport now.

But you're right, F1 isn't a priority, at least not for Renault which is a car manufacturer without a car even remotely close to an F1 racer -- Mercedes, Mclaren and Ferrari on the other hand do. For them F1 is an extended marketing program for enhancing their image as well as attract customers to the brand. That begs the question why Renault have yet to develop a sports car which would benefit from their activity in F1. They've wasted an opportunity here.

Toyota's decision might have affected Renault's plans. They were 3rd last in this year's championship. They already lost their main sponsors (ING & Mutua Madrilena). The only new sponsorship deal they've been able to sign is with TW Steel, a relatively unknown Dutch watchmaker that was established 4 years ago. I doubt this deal is more than a fraction of what ING payed them. This means Renault will have to invest much more of its own money in the team while there is no guarantee the results will be any better than this year.
Who knows, maybe the Kubica contract has a special clause in case Renault decides to pull out of F1. I wouldn't be surprised if this is indeed the case.

I give Renault one more year.


What's the point, all other major manufacturers will have pulled out... marketing-wise nobody cares when you keep winning by yourself (ask Audi @ LeMans)


I think in the future Mercedes will further continue pulling out as team owners and probably be satisfied with the role of engine supplier.

Renault will race in F1 in 2010 - Caubet



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 continued.


Sorce: Renault will race in F1 in 2010 - Caubet

It's kinda sad to see Toyota leave. I mean, Honda was crap, so when they left, there wen't anything to miss from them.

However, Toyota improved steadily, and this season, they really improved, IMO. They really should have kicked Trulli out earlier, and went for younger blood. The Glock-Koby pairing could have been a really good one.

Bear in mind, it was rumoured that Toyota had the least powerful engine this year, hence Williams' slump too.

I really think the FIA should go back to the drawing board to ensure no more big name exit the sport and blame the economic situation. I think it's more like the constant fiddling, the constant change of rules and the way the sport has been, is actually driving the manufacturers away.

That was just before the board meeting.

They will make a final decision in two months:

Renault to decide Formula 1 future by end of year

Thu Nov 5, 2009 10:06am EST


PARIS, Nov 5 (Reuters) - French carmaker Renault will decide by the end of the year whether to stay in Formula One after a race-fixing scandal that has badly damaged the team's reputation.
"You will have to be patient," Renault Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn told reporters on Thursday."We will make an announcement on our participation in Formula 1before the end of the year."
Renault ended the 2009 season racing under a suspended permanent ban for its involvement in a race-fixing controversy which resulted in its former principal Flavio Briatore being barred for life.
The team won the 2005 and 2006 championships with Fernando Alonso but the Spaniard has now left for rivals Ferrari. Title sponsor ING has also departed, leaving a big hole in the budget.
Renault told F1's governing body in September that it wanted to stay in the sport after the team was found to have ordered driver Nelson Piquet to crash deliberately at last year's Singapore Grand Prix to help Alonso to win the race.
But the high costs and recent negative publicity might persuade the firm to join the growing exodus from the sport.
Toyota announced on Wednesday that it was quitting F1, less than a year after Japanese rivals Honda pulled out and only days since BMW said farewell in the season-ending Abu Dhabi race.
Sole tyre supplier Bridgestone has also said it will leave at the end of 2010.
Toyota's pullout meant Renault was one of only three manufacturers left in F1, alongside Ferrari and Mercedes.
Renault have signed Poland's Robert Kubica as one of their 2010 drivers but paddock gossip even before last weekend's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix suggested the manufacturer was considering selling all or part of the team.
The carmaker also supplies engines to Red Bull, runners-up to Brawn GP and winners of six races this year.