Renault board meets to discuss F1 commitment

While the world digested Toyota's departure from F1, the French carmaker Renault was considering its own commitment to the sport.

The Paris board meeting, attended by the F1 team's chiefs Bob Bell and Jean-Francois Caubet, came amid rumours that Renault might sell its Enstone based outfit but remain on the grid as an engine supplier.

A complete Toyota-like withdrawal is considered unlikely, even in the wake of the crash-gate scandal, given that Robert Kubica has been signed for 2010 and a new engine deal with Red Bull is believed to have been agreed in principle.

"I'd be surprised if they were that active in the market to suddenly just willy-nilly pull out," former team boss and owner and now broadcaster Eddie Jordan told Sky News.

The timing of the meeting also suggests that no dramatic decisions were to be taken, with Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn scheduled to attend a major PR event to champion green technologies on Thursday.

A spokesman said the description of Wednesday's gathering as an "emergency meeting" was wrong, because it had been planned for weeks.