Renault insist McLaren partnership a success despite Mercedes move

Renault team principal Cyril Abiteboul says the French marque's relationship with McLaren can only be deemed a success, despite the Woking squad announcing their impending split in order to take Mercedes' supply.

McLaren will make a third change of engine supplier in six years ahead of the 2021 campaign, returning to the Mercedes fold, where they spent two decades between 1995 and 2014.

After three miserable seasons with reunited with Honda, McLaren took Renault engines from last year and look on course to beat their supplier in the constructors' championship this season, with reliability struggles affecting both.

Renault's own ambitions to catch up the top three teams in F1 have been put on hold by that.

However, after news of McLaren's future departure was confirmed, Renault were quick to point out the relative success the partnership has yielded.

"Since our partnership began, McLaren has gone from ninth to fourth position in the Constructors' Championship," Abiteboul said in a statement.

"We can therefore consider this a very successful relationship. However, while looking beyond the terms of the current contract, which concludes at the end of 2020, it was apparent that Renault and McLaren have different ambitions for the future.

"Each of the different elements of this decision have been carefully evaluated over the past few weeks. 2021 will be a crucial season for all teams and it is important for us to have a precise and clear view of the strengths and ambitions of our competitors going forward.

"This decision is in line with Renault's vision to become a works' team, with a goal to return to the front.

"Renault will continue to honour its commitments to McLaren Racing next season, as has always been the case over our long history of engine supply."

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