Renault team could lose Renault power in 2012
It has been rumored that Enstone based Lotus Renault GP is behind on its customer engine payments to Renault Sport F1 and might therefore switch to Cosworth power for 2012.
Renault Sport F1 chief Jean-Francois Caubet on Wednesday dismissed the speculation on RMC radio.
"We have a very clear contract of three years (through 2013) for the supply of engines (to Lotus Renault)," he said.
"We will respect this agreement. We have been very surprised to hear these rumors," continued Caubet.
"We are seriously discussing with Lotus Renault GP about the V6 engine in 2014," he added.
07/11/11 (GMM) Rumors about the health of the team currently known as Renault refused to disappear at Silverstone.
Boss Eric Boullier recently dismissed the rumors, hinting that they were triggered mischievously at Monaco by his predecessor Flavio Briatore.
But six weeks later, there was once again similar talk in the paddock of the British grand prix, not long after Williams was announced as engine supplier Renault Sport's newest partner team for 2012 and beyond.
Apart from the continuing naming connection, a customer engine contract and their historical links, the French marque is no longer involved with the Lotus-sponsored Renault team.
And Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports that the team might even be powered by Cosworth engines next year.
"This is fiercely denied by those in charge," the magazine acknowledged.
However, the Williams situation is perhaps relevant, particularly with the fanfare of the Renault engine announcement involving former works champions Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve at the team's Grove headquarters last week.
As for Lotus Renault, "poor results and apparently still pending payments for the engines do not make things any better", Auto Motor und Sport added.