F1: Villeneuve Linked With Renault/Prodrive

Formula 1

F1: Villeneuve Linked With Renault/Prodrive

Jacques Villeneuve's is the latest name linked with the rumors about Renault's future in Formula One...

SPEED Staff / GMM | Posted December 04, 2009 GMM Newswire

Jacques Villeneuve had hoped to return to the cockpit this year with Stefan GP. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Jacques Villeneuve's is the latest name linked with the rumors about Renault's future in Formula One.

Jacques Villeneuve had hoped to return to the cockpit this year with Stefan GP. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

It was reported Thursday that David Richards' Prodrive Company might be close to agreeing a deal to take over the French carmaker's Enstone based chassis-building plant.

It is now expected that Mangrove Capital Partners, involved with the driver management group Gravity Sport who have Jerez tester Ho-Pin Tung on their roster, is a part of the Renault/Prodrive deal.

The Chinese driver Tung drove a Gravity Racing International-entered Mosler MT900R in this year's 24 Hours of Spa, and also on the team was French Canadian Villeneuve.

"We cannot comment on the Renault situation, but it is well known that our intention is to get into F1," a Prodrive spokesman said.

Bernie Ecclestone, F1's chief executive who is usually involved in similar behind-the-scenes machinations, acknowledged there is substance to the rumors but played down suggestions his sport is set to lose another major stakeholder.

"We've got to get the whole Renault thing sorted out," the Briton told the Times newspaper. "We are in the middle of doing it now.

"I feel confident that we'll see Renault next year in Formula One under the name Renault and the year after and the year after that," the 79-year-old said.

No matter what happens, an agreement to sell is unlikely to be confirmed imminently.

While it is true that high-level meetings took place on Thursday in Paris, final decisions about Renault's commitment to the sport cannot be made for several days.

It is believed the next meeting of the full Renault SA board is scheduled for December 14, which is realistically the earliest date on which formal announcements can be made.

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