FEBRUARY 10, 2006

Why Renault cannot jump ship from the GPMA

This morning these is much talk of Renault trying to jump ship from the Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association and join up with the deal to extend the Concorde Agreement to the end of 2012. This follows remarks made by Renault F1 managing-director Flavio Briatore in an interview in a German magazine. This is all well and good but it must be remembered that Briatore is not the man who decides Renault policy and that the French manufacturer has signed a legally-binding agreement not to negotiate individual deals with Formula One Management after a GPMA meeting at the end of September last year at Schloss Hohenkammer, a castle to the north of Munich.

This document was signed by the five manufacturers and includes a clause which states that any breach of the agreement could lead to unlimited claims from the other members of the pact. The deal lasts a year and can only be overturned if all those involved agree to cancel the arrangement. The implied threat that FOM may decide not to offer them any money may be the reason behind the rumours because Renault more than the others needs money from the sport to justify its involvement to the top management.

However, unless Renault is willing to get embroiled in legal action with other members of the GPMA clan it is not going to be breaking ranks.

Briatore may have aligned himself with Bernie Ecclestone of FOM and FIA President Max Mosley but this does not mean that Renault is in complete agreement with him.