25/09/2009
NEWS STORY
The new Managing Director of the Renault F1 Team has said that the outfit will learn from its mistakes, and says that it must rediscover the "Renault culture".
Formerly Director of Marketing and Communications, Jean-Francois Caubet was appointed Managing Director on Wednesday as the fallout from 'Crashgate' finally began to settle.
Speaking in Singapore Caubet said the team must change, however, though he wants it to reflect the Renault corporate image he doesn't want to see it become just another bland corporate-dominated F1 team.
"The team must rediscover the Renault culture," he told reporters. "We don't want to return to the ways of the 1980s when Renault corporate controlled the team. But we don't want to make the same mistakes that have come about by letting the team have one-hundred percent autonomy."
Caubet and Team Principal Bob Bell are both interim appointments as the French manufacturer seeks full time replacements, leaving the internet buzzing as fans and media speculate, however the team is in no rush to make a decision.
"There is no brief for finding a team principal," said Caubet, "and I have no comment to make on the names that have been put forward. We will look for someone when the responsibilities of the role have been finalised. That could be in December or in January. Paradoxically, we don't have a problem in the short term, but in the long term because the team principal has to look to the long term."
With the early departure of two sponsors, the team faces an uncertain and difficult future, however, Caubet insists that it's business at usual.
"Clearly the team has been through a painful and humiliating shock, but we continue racing and have two main objectives: performance and financing. We will continue to improve the car until the end of the year, but our main efforts are now going into the 2010 car. That project is already well advanced and there will be a significant technical evolution.
"The current climate is very difficult for sponsors," he admitted. "Despite the significant reductions in costs, sponsors will not be able to fund the team's 2010 budget to the same level as 2009. We must therefore look for new financing methods. We could not do anything until we knew the outcome of the FIA World Motor Sport Council, but now we can resume our search."