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Next to the Jules Bianchi tragedy and Ferrari's 2016 lineup, another key topic in Hungary this weekend will be the future of Renault. The latest reports suggest that amid the French carmaker's deliberations about buying Lotus, Renault wants an upgrade in official F1 income.
Earlier, Renault had even been linked with a buyout of the second Red Bull team, Toro Rosso, but boss Franz Tost doubts that is now a likelihood. "I don't know what was decided by Renault for its future," the Austrian told Italy's Omnicorse.
"Three or four months ago they came to see the factory at Faenza and then they also went to Bicester to get an idea of our facilities there. The negotiation went on for a while but then I started to get the feeling that Renault was not really interested in acquiring Toro Rosso," Tost added.
If Renault and Red Bull do separate, it could mean Toro Rosso needs to look for a new engine supplier, even though currently the sides are contractually bound for 2016. "I would say we have to wait a couple of months," Tost said. "First we need to understand what Renault wants to do."
"Once they make their decision we will understand if we have to talk with the other manufacturers or not. For example with Ferrari we had a successful partnership several years ago, but at the moment there is nothing decided."
In the more immediate future, Toro Rosso and Red Bull are hoping Renault can make a much-needed step in performance this season. There are rumours of a 'new engine' featuring Renault's token upgrades at Spa-Francorchamps, after the summer break.
"I do not expect a new engine in Spa," Tost responded, "but we'll see. I think we will have a development, but that will come later in the season. The hope is that the performance can be improved, respecting the promises that were made by Renault," he added. (GMM)
Grand Prix of Belgium
G. Zhou
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Let's just hope an upgrade in performance will not be a downgrade in reliability.