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Renault poised for major budget boost in 2016
Renault's hopes of delivering improvements to its Formula 1 engine will be boosted by bigger budget and better facilities in 2016, if the French manufacturer gives the final sign-off for the return of a works team.
Jonathan Noble
Edited: Nov 25, 2015, 2:04 PM
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The company's chairman Carlos Ghosn is set to make a decision imminently about a takeover of Lotus amid ambitious plans to get Renault back to the front in F1.
And Renault's F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul has revealed that there will be fresh investment and the arrival of better equipment at its Viry-Chatillon base to help its fortunate.
“If the decision [from Ghosn] is positive, we will have extra R&D budget,” Abiteboul told Motorsport.com.
“I think we have always been a bit limited in that respect, but we will have an extra budget which is substantial.
“It is a two-digit figure in percentage increase, compared to what we had before, which is good.
“We will also have a new single cylinder dyno that is coming for January, which will increase by a factor of 50 percent our testing capacity when it comes to mid-term or long-term evolution.
“So we are pushing massively, and we are investing. I am feeling confident frankly.”
Management changes
As well as changes to the engine department, Abiteboul has also hinted of a fresh management approach in 2016.
“I think we have the skills, but I think we are lacking a bit the momentum, and technical leadership, of where we want to go and putting the right disciplines in place," he said.
“This season is an example of a complete lack of discipline that there is in the management of our technical programme, and I am a part of that.
“I am not saying it is not my problem, because I am part of the problem also. So there will have to be, when we know what we do, a deep management change that could also involve my own position.”
In particular, Abiteboul thinks Renault has suffered because there is not someone focused solely on managing performance improvements at Viry.
“I think Viry needs someone who is full time at the factory," he said. "In that respect, it is impossible for me to think about the strategy, enter in to a transaction with Lotus, form a new F1 project and spend and give the necessary time to Viry.
“So at some point of time we will have to think about what has happened and what will happen in the future. I will be only interested in what is best for this team.
"Part of my job and part of what I do for Renault is to offer to Renault what I think is the most credible organisation in order to get to a world championship contender position.”
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