FEBRUARY 22, 2001

Renault no to pay-per-view

CAR giant Renault could leave the sport if a threatened move onto pay-per-view television goes ahead.

German media groups EM.TV and Kirch want to obtain a further stake in Formula One holding company SLEC, and there are concerns that fans could end up paying to watch the television coverage of Formula One.

However, Renault Sport boss Patrick Faure strongly believes this must not happen, and hinted that the manufacturer could pull out if it did.

"We all want to maintain Formula One, which has never performed better," said Faure in French newspaper La Tribune.

"But it is out of [the] question for us to participate in a competition broadcast over pay-television channels."

The car manufacturers involved in Formula One had expressed an interest in buying into the SLEC company, but the EM.TV-Kirch move has put the plans in doubt.