Renault Sport managing director Cyril Abiteboul will only consider leaving when the company is winning again in Formula 1.
The French manufacturer finds itself in a tricky position at present after seemingly not taking the step forward that was expected in 2019 and now expectations appear limited for 2020 as they focus on next year’s rule changes.
For some, Abiteboul’s management is seen as one of the factors holding Renault back and though his success in F1 with Renault is limited to the mid-2000s and as engine supplier to Red Bull, he claims he doesn’t handle not winning well.
“Formula 1 is a tough sport, where you can’t hide as a team principal,” he told Motorsport Magazine.
“I’ve grown up, but I also need to keep improving my own package. It’s like everyone.
“I’m a bit Latin, I’m not just French. I’m from the southern part of France and I’m extremely emotional, I take things seriously.
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“I love racing but I struggle to live with the fact we are losing every weekend, and that’s a fact. Even though we are progressing, we are losing every single weekend. Number two is the first of the losers.
“It’s a change for me. I need to learn to lose, but I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that I want to win, and that appetite for winning is still growing with these years of not winning.”
It is for that reason then that Abiteboul maintains he would not consider his position or future until Renault is back as a leading team in F1.
“I’ll do that when I win. That’s the challenge, a question mark,” he said.
“Every single year that goes by we are getting stronger. Even this year we are stronger this year for finishing P5 than we were last year in finishing P4. I’ve no doubt about that, and that’s what matters.
“Every year we are stronger brings us closer to the ultimate goal, which is to win, which is my individual goal. Whether I make it happen or not is another story.
“But I can tell you that right now I’m not close to retiring unless I feel it’s not possible, or unless we have achieved it, and I am confident that one day this team will win. We’ve done it before, and we will do it again.”
