MAY 14, 2006

Renault looks ahead

Alain Dassas, the boss of Renault F1, has taken the opportunity of the GPMA-FOA settlement to give more details about Renault's future in F1. Dassas says that the team is hoping that Flavio Briatore will agree to a new contract with the F1 team but he says that it is still not sure that the Italian will stay on.

"We expect Flavio to make his decision as soon as possible," he said. "He wants to be at the top. If we give him the means to be at the top we hope he will stay. We do not envisage his departure."

However, Dassas is still unable to say who will drive for the team next year alongside Heikki Kovalainan apart from the fact that the team wants a top driver. With Kimi Raikkonen off the market this means that the only real choice is Michael Schumacher and that will cost a great deal of money.

Dassas also refused to confirm that Renault will continue to use the Renault brand in F1 and said that it was possible that Nissan or Infiniti could be used instead.

"That is not in the plan at the moment," he said. " It is too early."