Renault look to understand FIA-Ferrari 'settlement'

Renault

Renault look to understand FIA-Ferrari 'settlement'

'We’ve made a statement and the FIA has responded, which confirms the fact it was something not clear'

Sam Hall

Sunday 8 March 2020 14:30

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Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul seeks further understanding over the Ferrari-FIA settlement - his team being one of the seven to protest the findings of an investigation into the Italian team's power unit.

As frustrated as teams are at the deal struck between Ferrari and the FIA, Abiteboul says that he shares the FIA's goal to not let the matter tarnish the reputation of the sport.

“I don’t think we want this to become a legal matter,” Abiteboul told Autocar. “What we’d like is to get to a place where both the FIA and F1, for the reputation of the championship, appreciate that they need to provide light on this story to put this matter behind us. We want to put this matter behind us, but we need a bit of reassurance before we do that.

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“We’ve made a statement and the FIA has responded, which confirms the fact it was something not clear, because otherwise it would not [have made] such a settlement. So what’s the next move? We will discuss with the six other teams because it does not really respond to what we ask for.”

Abiteboul believes that the first step in resolving the dispute between the seven teams involved in the protest - Renault, Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull, AlphaTauri, Racing Point and Williams - and the FIA and Ferrari, is understanding how the settlement decision was reached.

“Clearly, the statement last Friday came as a surprise, and what’s important for us is to try to understand the governance that led to it. Also, while complaining [about] that arrangement between the FIA and Ferrari, not necessarily to change it, we’d like to understand if it is something that would be available for everyone.

“Also, because it refers to some extra measures that are being taken to police what is going on from the teams’ side, we’d like to make sure we comply. Regulations and access to them should be the same for all participants.”