Renault considering full works team

Editor

Renault could return to being a full works team in the future but insist for now they happy to work alongside Red Bull Racing.

Although Renault were a works team in recent times, they sold the outfit to Genii Capital in 2010 which later rebranded it as Lotus.

Instead of running a Formula 1 team, the French manufacturer focused on supplying engines with their biggest customer being Red Bull Racing.

Using Renault power, Red Bull dominated the sport from 2010 to 2013, winning four successive Championship doubles.

However, the swap to 1.6-litre V6 engines has caused some strain between the two as Renault's unit has been unable to challenge its Mercedes counterpart.

And one of the back of this, Renault F1's managing director Cyril Abiteboul says the company is considering whether it should again become a manufacturer team.

Abiteboul told Autosport: "We are here for marketing.

"So if from a marketing perspective we need to do things a little bit differently, we are open minded.

"There is no ego. The priority is to get the marketing messages that we want to deliver in the sport in the most cost-efficient manner.

"If you look at 2014, it was very expensive for us. We moved from four customers including very good teams, including the relationship with Enstone [Lotus], to having two teams both being under the ownership and control of Red Bull.

"It means that in effect that we only have one customer, and our priority is to satisfy that customer.

"But it is a situation where we are fully dependent on Red Bull.

"Is it sustainable for Renault? That is a question mark. I am not saying yes and I am not saying no.

"Right now, we want to have a good relationship with them."