Renault keeps KERS in Bahrain

(GMM) Renault has decided to keep KERS on its two cars for qualifying and the grand prix in Bahrain.

The French team is determining on a race-by-race basis how useful the energy recovery technology is, and after Friday practice was not committed to using KERS for the rest of the weekend.

But even though it has got the green light for Bahrain, team boss Flavio Briatore is a vocal critic of the expensive and controversial technology.

He told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport that the F1 teams' alliance FOTA "wants to ban it" for 2010 and beyond.

Renault is one of four teams using KERS this weekend, including McLaren, BMW and Ferrari.

Meanwhile, Sir Jackie Stewart is at Sakhir, making his first visit to a grand prix since scaling back his role as the embattled bank RBS' sponsor ambassador.

Also in Bahrain for a rare appearance at an overseas race is Sir Frank Williams, while former F1 faces including Jean Alesi, Johnny Herbert and Heinz-Harald Frentzen are here to contest the Speedcar support races.