Renault special advisor Alain Prost has defended the integrity of the French manufacturer following its spat with Toro Rosso this weekend in Brazil.

Following a disastrous series of engine failures which have impacted the Faenza-based outfit lately, Renault's Cyril Abiteboul hinted at mistakes made by Toro Rosso as the root cause for its successive power unit breakdowns.

Toro Rosso issued a statement on Saturday rejecting the claims in no uncertain terms, but team boss Franz Tost ramped up the war of words by calling into question Renault's fairness .

"We mustn’t forget that they are fighting with Toro Rosso for a better position in the Constructors’ championship, as suggested by Mr Abiteboul the situation may not be a coincidence, but it is certainly not due to STR’s car," said Tost in the team's Saturday statement.

The comments infuriated Renault Sport F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul, with pundits suggesting the manufacturer could go as far as to refuse to supply its power unit to the Faenza-based outfit in Abu Dhabi on the basis of bringing the pair's partnership into disrepute.

But Prost vehemently opposed that scenario, insisting Renault would honor its contractual obligations regardless of the prevailing tensions with its customer.

"You won't have a response from ourselves, we don't want to enter into this game of answering," the F1 legend told Sky Sports F1.

"I listened to what Franz said and obviously, there is one thing that is for sure.

"As you know, the Renault company involved in F1 for a long time, and we prove that by giving exactly the same engine to everybody, which is not the case of the other manufacturers.

"We will never play any dirty game to gain one position. Toro Rosso will have an engine in Abu Dhabi, there's no question about that."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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