Formula One news

'Genuine concern hit Renault factory' - Bell

The lifetime ban of Flavio Briatore sees the flamboyant and well-known Italian sensationally barred from Formula One; the 'Crashgate' scandal has caused much turbulence for Renault but new Team Principal Bob Bell is encouraged by a first podium finish of the season in Singapore.

Bell stands in for the departed Flavio Briatore

Like Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso maintained a 100% podium record on Sunday night as the two World Champions traded positions from last year's results in Marina Bay. With Renault back on the rostrum for the first time since Brazil last season, things finally appear to be on the up for those working in Enstone.

"I am taking a very pragmatic and realistic approach to it," commented 51-year-old Bell, who hails from Belfast. "The team needed somebody to step in and see through the rest of the season. I have agreed to do that and I am very happy to do it. My motivation, as ever, is to see that the team continues and continues successfully - and I am very proud that I have been asked to do it and I relish the challenge."

The Netherlands' ING was set to be title sponsor of the team until the end of the season

Having lost principal sponsors ING and Mutua Madrileña as a direct result of the race-fixing saga, does Bob believe things are back on track? "Definitely. From the outside, I think temporarily the team is perhaps not going to look in the greatest of light," he admitted, "but I saw this weekend that the team has put itself out of this unfortunate situation and worked, as ever, hard all weekend."

"I think all of us, myself included, were genuinely concerned that we could potentially lose our jobs over this; there were very deep and heartfelt feelings in the factory of sadness, that we would find ourselves in the situation in the first place and then, of course, the potential consequence that we could have gone out of business."

Renault's podium in Singapore moves it to within 4.5 points of past engine customers Williams for sixth place in the Constructors' standings; the team's flight to Japan for this weekend should be a pleasant one as it strives to repeat Fernando Alonso's victory from Suzuka's last race to date in 2006.

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