Renault to quit F1?

Carlos Ghosn wants Genii Capital to run the show because 1) they have the money to take a 75% to 100% stake, 2) can take over the Renault young driver program with their driver management company, and 3) Bernie has given the nod to the money hungry leeches.

The Renault F1 team management on the other hand wants Richards. Why? Because they know that the F1 team under Richards won't be in the crapper for long.

I see this playing out two ways. The leeches buy Renault's F1 team and they are a midfield team forever or Richards takes over and we start seeing Renault headed towards the top once again.

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Originally Posted by gloomyDAY

Carlos Ghosn wants Genii Capital to run the show because 1) they have the money to take a 75% to 100% stake, 2) can take over the Renault young driver program with their driver management company, and 3) Bernie has given the nod to the money hungry leeches.

The Renault F1 team management on the other hand wants Richards. Why? Because they know that the F1 team under Richards won't be in the crapper for long.

I see this playing out two ways. The leeches buy Renault's F1 team and they are a midfield team forever or Richards takes over and we start seeing Renault headed towards the top once again.

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...or the leeches buy the team and hire Richards/ProDrive to run it?

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Originally Posted by ykiki

...or the leeches buy the team and hire Richards/ProDrive to run it?

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Yes, but I thought both sides were bidding for Renault.

I really can't see Genii Capital buying the F1 team and then outsourcing the management to Prodrive. They can just do what they need in-house, especially with Bob Bell at the helm. Also, I think Renault recently had a reshuffle of their key technical personnel, so they should be more competitive next year. The question is, how competitive? A finance company could care less as long as they are raking in bucket loads of cash from sponsors.

Just don't think Renault F1 will be a top team without David Richards.

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Originally Posted by gloomyDAY

Just don't think Renault F1 will be a top team without David Richards.

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They weren't a top team the last time he was there.

If Renault want the team to have a good chance of success they should sell to Prodrive. Considering Renault want to continue as an engine supplier surely they want both the teams they supply to be as competitive as possible as it will make them look better.

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Originally Posted by tamburello

They weren't a top team the last time he was there.

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And how much time was he given last time??

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The company had considered its future in F1, but sources say its team will continue under new owners with Renault keeping a minority shareholding.

The team are set to be notified at their headquarters on Friday, with an official announcement likely next week.

The team name is unclear but it seems the car will race as a Renault.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ne/8407138.stm

It's either the Lopez consortium or Prodrive, with rumours suggesting it's the former. Hopefully we'll know soon.

F1-live now reporting that the deal is done and official announcement will be made next week.

I would truly love it to be Prodrive as I love to see real racing organisations in F1 and would always choose a Prodrive, Lola or Penske over a faceless and passionless Qadbak or Midland yet all the signals seem to be that Gerard Lopez's Genii Capital may have gotten the deal as latest reports from their camp have been that the Renault name would remain under their ownership if it happens so I reckon its gone there way - great for the team being 'saved' yet if Prodrive have lost out again, this will be like the 3rd or 4th time time they have been turned down for an F1 ride - what have they gotta do to join the Pirahna Club??!!


Plus, I really wanna see an F1 Prodrive Aston Martin in a couple of years in Gulf livery!! Purely selfish reasons there! :)

http://en.espnf1.com/renault/motorsport/story/4867.html

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Originally Posted by Giuseppe F1

F1-live now reporting that the deal is done and official announcement will be made next week.

I would truly love it to be Prodrive as I love to see real racing organisations in F1 and would always choose a Prodrive, Lola or Penske over a faceless and passionless Qadbak or Midland yet all the signals seem to be that Gerard Lopez's Genii Capital may have gotten the deal as latest reports from their camp have been that the Renault name would remain under their ownership if it happens so I reckon its gone there way - great for the team being 'saved' yet if Prodrive have lost out again, this will be like the 3rd or 4th time time they have been turned down for an F1 ride - what have they gotta do to join the Pirahna Club??!!


Plus, I really wanna see an F1 Prodrive Aston Martin in a couple of years in Gulf livery!! Purely selfish reasons there! :)

http://en.espnf1.com/renault/motorsport/story/4867.html

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Plus, Lopez has been a guest speaker at the recent F1 business forum and going by James Allen's F1 blog, did a very good job, came across very well and certainly has the business credentials and exciting new ideas for F1 to embrace new media etc. Would be great if F1 could accomondate both Lopez and Prodrive and I guess its reassureing for the health of the sport that F1 is still being seen as great value and a viable business platform.

The thing in all of this for me is Toro Rosso - if Mateschitz does wanna sell, then its seems there are buyers out there. I think reason this hasnt happened is beacuse new prospective teams probably just wish to purchase their entry and not their facilities and Italian base and Mateschitz is probably insisting on this in any sale as to not make a whole workforce redundant

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Originally Posted by Giuseppe F1

Plus, Lopez has been a guest speaker at the recent F1 business forum and going by James Allen's F1 blog, did a very good job, came across very well and certainly has the business credentials and exciting new ideas for F1 to embrace new media etc. Would be great if F1 could accomondate both Lopez and Prodrive and I guess its reassureing for the health of the sport that F1 is still being seen as great value and a viable business platform.

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James was pretty enthusiastic about Lopez wasn't he... but then again he was never going to badmouth one of the main speakers at a forum that he himself was hosting.

I thought James' most telling comment about Lopez was this one: "has created a successful career out of investing in and then selling on tech companies." That doesn't fill me with confidence that Lopez is in it for the good of the team or the sport.