Flavio Briatore spoke with Gazzetta dello Sport. Quite a bit of the talk was about the current state of Formula 1. But he also said this:

“The problem is that us, Renault, have stuck to the letter of the current regulations on frozen engines, and we’ve been buggered: others didn’t do that and are far ahead, while we suffer. It’s not fair.”

Is he suggesting the others are cheating ? Or is he admitting that Renault engine guys simply haven’t bothered to exploit all the loopholes in the engine freeze rules ?

Does he know something we don’t or is he simply being pathetic ?

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F1Wolf

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I am not sure if the team has been distracted by Flavio Briatore’s wedding or his pictures (may be disturbing to some people) or what, but it looks to me like they are loosing their direction. If I were in Renault’s current position I would have two basic (and very interconnected) things on my mind:

1) 2008 or 2009 ?
2) Fernando Alonso - will he stay or will he go ?

It has been an open secret since the moment he re-joined Renault that this team may be just a stopover for him. Neither the team nor Alonso are hiding the fact that there is some sort of car performance related escape clause in Alonso’s contract. Alonso himself (at least publicly) has accepted the reality. He was well aware even before the season has started that the Renault car will be no match for the top this year. The reality is perhaps worse than he has expected but he keeps on doing the job. It is probably fair to say that he gets the car to the places it does not really belong to - front row start in Barcelona, very competive race pace in Canada (as long as it lasted). It is also fair to say that Renault are should be benefiting from having Alonso with them. Although I have never been a huge fan of Alonso, it looks to me to be the only one in Renault talking some sense these days …

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F1Wolf

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The Formula 1 budget cap has been talked about for a while. Yesterday some details of the proposed cap were revealed. The budget cap is set to be introduced in Formula One from the start of 2009. Tony Purnell (FIA consultant) has written to all F1 teams with the figures the FIA would like to set. So here are the figures:

2009 - 175 million Euro (USD280 million)
2010 - 140 million Euro (USD224 million)
2011 - 110 million Euro (USD176 million)

At the first sight it looks like significant reduction in spending, especially when we think about Toyota’s current F1 budget in the area of USD500 - 600 million.

But … Force India wastly improved budget for 2008 season in “only” USD150 million or thereabouts. The budget cap proposed for 3 years from now is still way over this privateer team current budget and … now the fun part - the proposed budget cap is not about to cover:

- engine development
- marketing expenses
- driver salaries
- team principal salaries
- KERS development

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F1Wolf

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Renault unveiled their 2008 F1 car - the R28 - yesterday in Paris. The eyesore of the livery remains but the team says this new car represents a shift in the design philosphy. The predecessor, R27, suffered from the switch to the Bridgestone tyres (and the wrong wind tunnel data reading), so it is no surprise that the R28 main design focus has been on getting the most of the Bridgestone tyres.

The new car features revised weight distribution, new aerodynamic concept and a “zero-keel” front suspension mounting. The new Renault is yet another car featuring the front wing bridge. Under the chassis the biggest changes are the new Standard ECU and new 4 race gearbox.

Technical Director Bob Bell:

“2007 was a very poor year by our standards. For 2008, there are high expectations inside and outside the team, and it is down to us to give the drivers a competitive car. We have put the problems from 2007 behind us and in terms of the car design, we have looked at the problem afresh. The team pushed very hard in all areas, and particularly on the aerodynamics. The front end of the car has come in for special attention with a brand new front wing and the front suspension. The rear end has also been heavily reworked, and we haven’t neglected the basics. The car ran reliably in its first test, and we made encouraging progress on performance development last week. We are confident that the advances we have seen in the wind tunnel will be reflected on track.”

(more photos in the article)
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F1Wolf

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UPDATED - FULL WMSC DECISION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ARTICLE

The history repeats. Like McLaren earlier this year Renault were found guilty but escaped without punishment.

FIA Statement:

“An extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council was held in Monaco on December 6, 2007. The World Council found Renault F1 to be in breach of article 151c of the International Sporting Code but imposed no penalty. Detailed reasons for this decision will be issued on December 7, 2007, and a transcript of the proceedings will be published as soon as possible thereafter.”

Renault and Flavio Briatore are obviously pleased with this outcome:
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F1Wolf

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What many, me included, have suspected for long time has been confirmed. Prodrive will not make it to the grid for 2008 season. The customer car row, the delays in agreeing on the new Concorde agreement are obvious reasons. This is what Dave Richards had to say to German Auto Moto und Sport magazine:

“There was a dispute about our eligibility. In addition, the new Concorde agreement has been repeatedly delayed. We asked the FIA to be able to start mid-way through the season: our request was rejected. So for 2008 there is not a realistic chance of there being a Prodrive formula one team.

Secondly, we must wait for the new Concorde. Only then can we fully assess our options. Our ambition is still to be in formula one. But there was the risk of legal procedures because we wanted to use a customer car. As a result, our entire business plan was put into doubt. So we have chosen to re-group instead of simply race ahead blindly.”

Well, that’s it then for 24 cars 2008 grid….

However the speculations started almost immediately about another way to F1 for Prodrive.

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F1Wolf

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On November 7 the news broke out that Alonso is close to signing a deal with Renault, announcement was expected later that week.

Then only a day later Renault was summoned to the World Motor Sport Council to answer spying allegations. Coincidentally about the same time some sites reported that Alonso’s manager was talking with Red Bull. This started all sorts of theories, including Bourdais staying one more year in the US and Coulthard making room for Alonso by moving to Toro Rosso. This has been rubbished since by Bourdais, but not by Red Bull or Toro Rosso teams, at least I haven’t spotted it.

After the Renault spy case hearing news I wondered whether Renault and / or Alonso will be in a position to sign anything until the ruling is out, and that will be December 6 if there are no appeals.

With no news about the Alonso / Renault deal and no fresh indications he is in talks with anybody else it really may be the case that nothing will happen till the Renault ruling is out …

Perhaps the text on scooter helmet on the picture above points into his next destination Just kidding …

F1Wolf

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After reading several of the lates news releases on this Renault case, visiting several forums to see what other make of it, in the process making fool of myself on one of them with my memory black out on the Stepneygate, I am trying to put some of the recent developments in a context.

The first information came out on September 11, 2007, just days  before the WMSC hearing and McLaren verdict FIA confirmed to Autosport:

“We have noted the speculation and we can confirm that McLaren lawyers have recently brought to our attention certain matters regarding Renault F1. But we can also confirm that the team (Renault) does not form any part of our investigations into McLaren’s alleged breach of Article 151C of the International Sporting Code. The FIA has reminded McLaren that the World Council hearing in Paris on Thursday will focus solely on the new evidence in that investigation. To the extent required, any other matters will be dealt with as part of an entirely separate process. Renault F1 are aware of this and are happy to cooperate fully.”

Flavio Briatore then responed with his now famous quote:

“We told the FIA what we had, so there’s no problem. I don’t know what Dennis refers to, he’s throwing stones a bit everywhere. We are calm, no problem at all.”

Then came weeks of silence and all of a sudden 2 days ago news broke out that Renault were called to appear before WMSC to answer the allegations.

Renault as expected came up with a statement to the media:

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F1Wolf

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Hm… Sweet, it is Ron against Flavio now

FIA have summoned Renault to appear at a hearing of FIA World Motor Sport Council:

‘Representatives of the Renault F1 Team have been requested to appear before a hearing of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Monaco on Thursday, December 6, 2007.

‘The team representatives have been called to answer a charge that between September 2006 and October 2007, in breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code, the Renault F1 Team had unauthorised possession of documents and confidential information belonging to Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, including, but not limited to the layout and critical dimensions of the McLaren F1 car, together with details of the McLaren fuelling system, gear assembly, oil cooling system, hydraulic control system and a novel suspension component used by the 2006 and 2007 McLaren F1 cars.’

Back in September when the allegations surfaced for the first time, Flavio Briatore’s response was:

“We told the FIA what we had, so there’s no problem. I don’t know what Dennis refers to, he’s throwing stones a bit everywhere. We are calm, no problem at all.”

Will be interesting to hear some fresh statement from him.

F1Wolf

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Flavio Briatore confirmed 2 things today. First, that he offered a seat in the Renault team to Fernando Alonso, now free from McLaren. Second, that Fernando Alonso would like to commit himself only for 1 year, likely to be free when several seats become available in 2009.

Briatore however is not interested in a year long deal.

“I know how much he can still give Renault, but an agreement for one year would have no sense with an outlook projected for a period of time.”

He offered Alonso chance to return to his old team on a long term basis:

“Let’s see what happens from here to Tuesday. I have presented a project for the future to Fernando. If his desires coincide with ours, it can happen.”

Not sure what the “Tuesday” in the above statement to Gazzetta dello Sport means, deadline for Alonso to make up his mind?

What would his move back to Renault mean to the current Renault drivers Fisichella and Kovalainen ?

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F1Wolf

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