18/07/2011
NEWS STORY
Renault's chief operating officer, Carlos Tavares, insists his company remains fully committed to F1.
Having sold its remaining stake in the Renault F1 team at the end of 2010, there has been continued speculation as to the French manufacturer's future within the sport.
Though it supplies powerplants for world champions Red Bull, along with Team Lotus and Lotus Renault GP, and with Williams also set to use them in 2012, the uncertainty over the new rules for 2014 had the French manufacturer threatening to walk away from the sport.
However, Tavares' presence in the paddock at Silverstone is widely seen as a positive signal, indeed, the newly appointed CEO says that is exactly how it was intended.
Asked why he attended the British GP, he told the Renault Sport website: "There were two reasons. The first is I am passionate about motorsport. The second is that I am passionate about Renault and Renault is competing in this Grand Prix.
"I only waited six days from when I started this job before coming to a race," the Portuguese continued, "as I believe there is a great passion for cars and motorsport within the Renault Group. It is also my way of showing that we need to harness this passion within the Group so that every Renault partner and employee can benefit from our involvement, which will in turn be for the benefit of our clients.
Asked about the move which sees Renault reunited with Williams, which means it will supply four teams next season, he said: "It is very satisfying and this is partly due to the history and success of the partnership. We know that Renault is a very open company and has demonstrated its ability to work intelligently and constructively with our partners. I believe that Renault's partnership with four teams is a translation of this capability.
"It shows an ability to share information and build associations. The world is getting more and more complicated and everyone is doing fewer and fewer things independently, so the fact we continue to show our ability to work with people that have different ideas and opinions, is a very strong point of the company. It brings a depth to our operation.
"I am very happy with the partnership with Williams," he added, referring specifically to the Grove outfit, "I think it will bring a lot to the company."
There is constant innovation in F1, even more so than in the road car industry, Tavares was asked how important this is for Renault and for the company's image. "It's crucial and we are very careful to nurture the talent we have at Viry-Chatillon," he replied. "This shows in the work we do, and I know we have a lot of engineers that strive to improve their knowledge and understanding in the field. We have also taken care to establish a dialogue and interaction between the F1 operation and the rest of the company so that the expertise and the technologies are transferred to the road cars.
"The second factor to consider is that we have also contributed at various stages to the discussions concerning the development of electric engines within F1. Everyone knows that Renault took a lead on this subject, we have invested a lot of time and effort in this and we will launch three electric road vehicles at the end of the year. We are the only road car manufacturer to do this.
"There is a synergy between the direction we are taking with our electric road cars and the electric technology in F1 engines. And you can count on me that these synergies will be explored, or to create a situation where they can be explored."
Asked about the new engine formula in 2014, which sees the introduction of a V6 turbo, with a greater emphasis on electric propulsion, Tavares said: "This was one of the conditions explained to our teams for us to be in F1, and it still applies. Renault has always had an ability to innovate. We want our innovation to be useful to our clients and to the general health of the planet. Therefore this 'downsizing' we've put all our support behind is perfectly aligned. There needs to be a convergence between the technologies seen in F1 and the wishes of our clients and the societies we operate in.
"I'm sure that the decision just taken won't be the final step," he added, "but we are very happy that we have managed to find a common consensus.
Asked about the current season, Red Bull and Renault's domination, the 2010 title and the wins in 2011, he replied: "First and foremost it's an example of a great collaboration, with a real fighting spirit. To date the team has been outstanding technically, the drivers and the team management exceptional. The only thing we can say is congratulations and hope that it continues. We've seen a few regulatory changes, but I have confidence in the team, I know that they will know what to do to overcome the difficulties placed in front of them."