No Renault F1 announcement until next week

Renault says that an announcement about its future in Formula 1 will not be made until next week, amid fresh uncertainty about whether or not the French car manufacturer will remain in grand prix racing.

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing Team Principal, and Cyril Abiteboul, Renault Sport F1 Managing Director

Cyril Abiteboul, Renault Sport F1 Managing Director wears a black armband as a mark of respect for the victims of the Paris terrorist attacks

Pastor Maldonado, Lotus F1 E23 passes a Renault advertising hoarding

(L to R): Cyril Abiteboul, Renault Sport F1 Managing Director with Jerome Stroll, Renault Sport F1 President and Dr Helmut Marko, Red Bull Motorsport Consultant

Romain Grosjean, Lotus F1 E23 passes a Renault advertising hoarding

Although it has done a deal to supply engines to Red Bull for 2016, its takeover of Lotus to resurrect a works outfit has not yet been finalised.

There is understood to still be no resolution to its desire for increased commercial rights income from F1 chiefs, and the prospect of it pulling out if it did not get what it wanted was raised at this week's F1 Commission meeting.

Talks to try to resolve the deadlock have been taking place in Abu Dhabi, with Bernie Ecclestone and CVC's Donald Mackenzie meeting with Renault's vice president of sales and marketing Jerome Stoll in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

Renault F1's managing director Cyril Abiteboul was tight-lipped about the situation on Friday, but said the situation should be resolved one way or another after the season finale.

"What I can say is that there will be no announcement regarding Renault's future short term or middle term this weekend," he said.

"But there will be an announcement very likely in the course of next week.

"We have always said that we would like to do it after the season, which ends on Sunday, and at the start of December, so that is what we will do. We will make an announcement then."

Lotus waiting

Renault's situation means that Lotus must wait a few more days to find out if its future is secure.

Deputy team principal Federico Gastaldi said that his outfit could do nothing to force the matter, so it just had to focus on getting through the grand prix first.

"We are on the same page," he said. "We have been working all the time since the Singapore race. We have Renault people already at the factory and it doesn't change anything.

"They are the ones who have to announce. We cannot push Renault to make the decision because it is their call."