Renault is considering whether it should become a manufacturer team in Formula 1 again, according to Renault Sport F1’s managing director Cyril Abiteboul.
The French company sold its team to Genii Capital in 2010, which was later rebranded Lotus, to become an engine supplier only.
Renault used to supply four teams, but with the collapse of Caterham and Lotus’ switch to Mercedes, they’re left with Red Bull and Toro Rosso, both of which are owned by the same company.
As a result, Abiteboul isn’t certain they’re getting the amount of exposure they deserve and as they’re involvement is based around marketing the brand, a rethink might be needed.
“We are here for marketing,” he told Autosport. “So if from a marketing perspective we need to do things a little bit differently, we are open minded.
“In effect we only have one customer. It is a situation where we are fully dependent on Red Bull,” he explained. “Is it sustainable for Renault? That is a question mark. I am not saying yes and I am not saying no.”
It’s believed Renault has explored the possibility of investing in a team, most likely Lotus which is open to the opportunity, but another possible option is Toro Rosso.
Former-Mercedes technical director Bob Bell is thought to be evaluating several options for Renault before a final decision is made.
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