Renault Confirm Commitment To F1

The beleaguered Renault F1 team have vowed to stay in the sport despite damage caused to its reputation by the recent Singapore race-fix scandal.

Submissions made to governing body the FIA during this week’s hearing, where the team got a suspended two-year disqualification from the sport, confirmed their stance.

Renault said that after consideration it wanted to ‘continue to make an important contribution to the sport’.

Bob Bell has stepped up from technical director to acting team principal for the remainder of the season.

The team have also withdrawn the complaint against former driver Nelson Piquet Jr and his father.

Renault had accused the pair of false allegations and blackmail before eventually informing FIA president Max Mosley that the charge of conspiracy levelled at them would not be contested.

The team were duly given a two-year suspended ban by the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) on Monday for ordering Piquet Jr to crash deliberately so that team-mate Fernando Alonso could win the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix following the introduction of a safety car.

Former team boss Flavio Briatore was also banned indefinitely from F1 while ex-engineering chief Pat Symonds has been excluded for five years.

A further statement confirmed Bell’s appointment ahead of this week’s return to Singapore for the 2009 Grand Prix.

Jean-Francois Caubet, currently director of marketing and communications, takes the role of managing director, with both men reporting to Bernard Rey, president of the Renault F1 Team.