Here we go with the full quote of the Renault position:
Renault Sport managing director Jean-Francois Caubet wrote:Today we have not changed our mind. We have told Jean Todt and Bernie that we are pushing for the new engine because when we decided not to stop in F1, the three conditions were very clear for the Board. The first one was to change the technology of the engine to make it more relevant, to find a link between Formula 1 and the product. Secondly to reduce the costs, and thirdly to perform. We have halved the costs, we have performed with Red Bull Racing and with Renault, but the problem of the road relevance is a key point for us.
We know the story about Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Cosworth and we have a lot of meetings with the car makers, but for Renault today we not want to change our position. I told Bernie and Jean Todt that today we are in the 'red zone' because we have no idea what will be the future for Renault. We don't want to lose the capability to manage F1, but if we do not stick with the new regulations or if the regulations change, we are losing control of the situation - and then it becomes a problem with the board. Things are more difficult.
We want to understand who is managing the sport. The cost of Renault in F1 is around 100 million Euros and you cannot change direction just like that. We told Nissan what the future of F1 is like and we opened the door for Nissan and Infiniti to be in F1. [For them]it is a long term strategy it is not only branding for this year, but long term strategy. They were following Renault for the new engine and today we don't know where we are.
We don't want to have an open conflict. We don't want to use the media to open the conflict, but today we are in the red zone. The problem to delay is that in Renault if you say, okay, the new engine will arrive in 2015, then the credibility will be zero. That is a key point. When you are changing like that each day, you can explain to the board that in December the new engine will be like that, and the following November it is 2015. The key point is credibility - and, as I said, we are in the red zone. We have spent $10 million on the new engine, we have 20 people working in Renault - and can you imagine sending them back?
You can't say it any clearer. F1 will loose all credibility if they change a plan that was approved unanimously only last December. Autosport say that the issue will be voted in the F1 commission and it will likely need a unanimous vote of the commission to put the engine rules back to 2015. I don't believe that Bernie and Montezuma have a realistic chance to pull Renault over the table this time. The whole idea of Jean Todt for the additional vote to delay the engines to 2015 only makes sense if you consider it a tactic to use up the time to the dead line. As it looks now the turbo engines will come and Ferrari will have to agree to a sensible cost containment plan. It would be a good outcome IMO.