Questions over Renault’s future in Formula 1 are rising after a review into the company’s future strategy was ordered by its CEO.
This week has been a difficult one for the French manufacturer after they were disqualified from the results of the Japanese Grand Prix over a brake bias system that was ruled as a driving aid.
Begrudgingly, Renault opted not to appeal that decision despite feeling the penalty was excessive.
A reason for that is speculation that the FIA wanted to invoke an even harsher punishment on the team but pulled back after the company threatened to pull out of F1 if they did.
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Whether that was genuine may not matter, however, after the announcement by current CEO Clotilde Delbos of a re-evaluation of their motorsport activities.
“It is like a normal process. It is just not a minor review,” Delbos told investors on Friday
“We are really launching a deep review of our ‘Drive the Future’ plan in order to take into account the new context of the market, the change in usage, mobility etc. and the current situation of the group.
“Everything can be on the table at some point. This is a deep review of our strategy and of our plan.”
The ‘Drive the Future’ project was created by former CEO Carlos Ghosn, who was removed after being arrested on fraud charges earlier this year.
A presence in F1 was considered a key part of that strategy but currently, Renault has not signed up to the new 2021 regulations and won’t have to worry about customers following McLaren’s move to Mercedes power.
Not only that, but performance has fallen short of expectations despite strong progress with their power unit this season.
All this comes after the broader Renault Group announced a drop in revenue to 11.3bn Euros for the third quarter and revised down their projections for the coming year.