Renault's Ghosn admits 'concerns' about F1

Renault Logo / Copyright: D. Mathis / xpb.cc

F1 risks becoming unimportant to more of its participants if the sport does not change, Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn has warned.

Amid speculation concerning the French carmaker's commitment to formula one, Ghosn announced recently that a decision about the future will be made before the end of 2009.

In a new interview with Forbes India, the 55-year-old referred to "challenges" faced by F1.

"(They are) challenges on how fair it is and how do you marry F1 with the environmental concerns. Can you bring zero emission through technology? So there are lots of questions about F1," said Ghosn.

Asked whether F1 is still going to be important to Renault in the future, he answered: "I don't think it is going to be very important for anybody if it doesn't answer some of the concerns.

"I notice that in the last year, three car manufacturers have bowed out of F1. Three in one year! That means there are a lot of questions that we need to resolve," added Ghosn.

Source: GMM

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Bristol411S3

I am starting to think that mainstream automobile manufacturers and F1 are not compatible. I sat let Renault quit so the sport can return to those who care about it. Leave it to real motor racing teams for whom the sport is their love as well as their business, rather than industrialists for whom F1 is a marketing exercise that only works if they're getting their way.

November 24, 2009 9:03 pm

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ifudge

Fair enough point but I think that's the strength of F1's global appeal. The fact that you have mainstream car makers competing at the highest level who bring the technology, resources and budgets in order to make the sport the spectacle that it is widens the appeal and makes the sport what it is.

November 26, 2009 3:26 am

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