Abiteboul plays down Renault F1 quit speculation

Cyril Abiteboul has moved to play down speculation that Renault may quit Formula 1 after 2020.

Amid a struggle for performance this year and the recent Racing Point protest saga, Renault’s new interim CEO Clotilde Delbos has now admitted that whether the carmaker stays in F1 beyond 2020 is "on the table".

Team boss Abiteboul, however, says it is premature to speculate that Renault will leave Formula 1.

"We have just received the final draft of the regulations for 2021," he said in Mexico.

"First of all, these rules must be adopted by the World Motor Sport Council at the end of October. We will then calmly check if the right conditions exist for us to continue.

"It seems to us that the course is being set for a better future," Abiteboul added.

"If we get a fairer distribution of prize money, then I do not see what should change in our decision to return to Formula 1. That is, our operation has to make sense from a technical, financial and marketing perspective.

"The question will then be: is there a prospect of good results at a reasonable cost? For me, the 2021 regulations are going in an encouraging direction," he said.