Renault on verge of ’GPMA’ split
"The Renault F1 team… has reinforced its commitment to Formula One beyond 2008," the team said in a statement at the Spanish Grand Prix.
"The agreement the team has reached today with FOA (Formula One Administration) expresses the Renault F1 team's commitment to Formula One," team president Alain Dassas said.
"Having entered the 2008 championship last month, this is the next logical step to guarantee the financial stability and competitiveness of our team."
"We have worked hard jointly with our fellow manufacturers in the GPMA to reach an agreement that satisfies our desire to see a balanced distribution of the income generated by our sport," Dassas added.
"We will now pursue our constructive dialogue with the (governing) FIA and the other teams to achieve our shared objectives of an improved sporting show and reduced costs.
"These factors will form the basis for Renault's long-term investment in Formula One."
05/14/06 (GMM) He was careful not to let the cat out of the bag, but Flavio Briatore has gone some way to backing up speculation that Renault is on the verge of pulling out of the carmakers' 'GPMA' group.
The team's Italian principal told 'Welt am Sonntag' that Renault is growing tired of never-ending bickering about the new 'Concorde' agreement post-2007.
''We have being negotiating for six years now,'' Briatore told the newspaper.
''How much longer are we going to wait?
''We sit in meetings for hours only to decide a date for a new meeting.
''In the past ten months nothing happened at all.
''It is my responsibility to secure the future of Renault in formula one.''
Indicating that the French carmaker now has more in common with those already signed up for Bernie Ecclestone's offerings, Flavio Briatore expressed surprise at the decision on Wednesday – led by McLaren – to vote down the FIA's plan to 'freeze' engine development for several years.
Renault shocked fellow GPMA members when it recently met at Concorde-signatory Ferrari's Maranello headquarters to discuss the idea.
Briatore said of McLaren, part-owned by German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz: ''(They) have not won a title for seven years now, despite its enormous engine budgets.
''Ferrari and Renault aside, the same applies to every other manufacturer.''
05/14/06 (GMM) Renault could be on the verge of announcing that it has joined Ferrari in signing Bernie Ecclestone's new 2008-style 'Concorde Agreement'.
The revelation, which may be imminently due for announcement, would mean that the French company has abandoned four other carmakers in the 'GPMA' alliance and broken an agreement to stick together until at least September of this year.
F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone dropped a big hint about the rumor at Circuit de Catalunya, telling the Daily Telegraph that the team led by Flavio Briatore is being 'more sensible' than its rivals.
Additionally, the man who would have to sign the deal, Renault F1 president Alain Dassas, made a rare appearance in the formula one paddock earlier this weekend.