Abiteboul: 'It's not Vasseur's team!'

It appears that Renault Sport Racing managing director Cyril Abiteboul and team principal Fred Vasseur's were very much at odds with each other based on some comments expressed by the former.

Vasseur resigned yesterday after just one year on the job, officially for conflicting views about the French team's future direction

Vasseur stated that remaining at Renault in spite of the differing views would not have been in the team's best interest which is understandable.

• Conflicting views induced resignation, says Vasseur

But the root of the problem according to Abiteboul was apparently Vasseur's need for freedom and self-ruling, an approach doomed to fail an environment dominated by heavy procedures and corporate governance.

"The structure was something that was a problem for Frederic who needs a fair amount of autonomy because that has always been the way it has been in his life," Abiteboul told French media Infosport+.

"When you're a part of a structure of which you are neither a founder or a shareholder, and which does not bear your name, that implies conceding to the decision-making process.

"This is Renault's team, it is not Frederic Vasseur's team or Cyril Abiteboul's team. This was at the center of our inability to work together in harmony and with stability."

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