Despite powering three of the first four cars home in Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix, the French manufacturer has yet to decide whether it will walk away from the sport entirely or become more involved by buying a team and thereby becoming an entrant.

According to Bernie Ecclestone, Renault boss Carlos Ghosn is currently weighing up the various options and will make his decision, possibly within the next week.

With Lotus clearly in trouble, witness the fact that Pirelli only released a supply of tyres one hour before FP1 in Hungary, giving the all-clear once the necessary funds had been cleared, rumours over the Enstone outfit's future have been circulating for some time.

We're gradually getting things sorted out," said Ecclestone, according to Motorsport.com. “By this week we'll know which way we're going. Hopefully then we'll know whether Renault are going to take them over, or what's going to happen."

However, it is understood that should Renault opt to buy Lotus, taking on its Enstone HQ and staff, it would do so as a new team and not merely take over the outfit that began as Toleman in 1981 and subsequently morphed into Benetton, Renault and Lotus.

Ecclestone was keen to play down talk that the French company would automatically qualify as a historic team thereby enabling it to special payment, though he admitted that as a manufacturer the team would be in a position to earn more money than if it remains as is.

"They've got to do what everyone else is doing," he said. "They're buying a team, they're taking over a team. If you took a team over you'd be entitled, except that they are a manufacturer so we are looking after them a bit differently. Renault would come off better than if a private person did it as they're a manufacturer."

Asked what other options there might be should Renault opt not to but Lotus, Ecclestone said: "Err, semi. I think we've got it more or less under control."