Renault F1's managing director Cyril Abiteboul has revealed that the French manufacturer will be increasing its investment in 2016 upon its return in Grand Prix racing as a works team.
While an announcement by company chairman Carlos Ghosn is expected any day now regarding its buy out of Lotus, Abiteboul has said that Renault will allocate extra resources to its F1 efforts, both in terms of financials budgets as well as an equipment upgrade of its Viry-Chatillon facilities.
Speaking to Motorsport.com, Cyril Abiteboul offered some insight into Renault's future prospects which should invigorate a fresh impetus into the manufacturer's overall prospects.
"If the decision is positive, we will have extra R&D budget,” Abiteboul commented.
"I think we have always been a bit limited in that respect, but we will have an extra budget which is substantial.
"It is a two-digit figure in percentage increase, compared to what we had before, which is good.
"We will also have a new single cylinder dyno that is coming for January, which will increase by a factor of 50 percent our testing capacity when it comes to mid-term or long-term evolution.
"So we are pushing massively, and we are investing. I am feeling confident frankly."
But Abiteboul also divulged that Renault could undertake some major changes in the human resource department with new management appointments destined to regain discipline and leadership on its technical front, and which could even affect his own role within the company.
"I think we have the skills, but I think we are lacking a bit the momentum, and technical leadership, of where we want to go and putting the right disciplines in place," he said.
"There will have to be, when we know what we do, a deep management change that could also involve my own position."
Abiteboul believes one reason for the spectacular underperformance of its power unit this season has been the lack of follow-up management back at Viry-Chatillon.
"I think Viry needs someone who is full time at the factory," he said.
"In that respect, it is impossible for me to think about the strategy, enter in to a transaction with Lotus, form a new F1 project and spend and give the necessary time to Viry.
"So at some point of time we will have to think about what has happened and what will happen in the future. I will be only interested in what is best for this team.
"Part of my job and part of what I do for Renault is to offer to Renault what I think is the most credible organisation in order to get to a world championship contender psoition."
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