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Lopez Confirms Interest in Renault Deal

The Motor Sport Business Forum in Monaco this week is not only a chance for the investors of Formula One to get together and discuss the future prospects of the series, but also to reveal some of their intended moves inside the Great Circle. Such is the case of well-known businessman Gerard Lopez, who this week admitted for the first time that he's interested in becoming an active member of the sport.

However, he did not disclose how he plans to do that, although hinting that it has something to do with Renault. As most of you know by now, the French manufacturer is contemplating walking away from the series prior to the 2010 season because of the high costs and non-sustainability involved in running an F1 team.

Talking about the prospect of buying into the Enstone based organization, Lopez insisted however that a potential deal with Renault will not lead to a complete walkaway for the French manufacturer. He actually hinted that an agreement might be reached in order to join efforts with Renault for the continuance of their F1 programme, rather than take over the operations completely.

It would be very different from a start-up team. If we were to do a deal with Renault, we would still be basing ourselves as a constructors' team – but it will be a different kind of business,” said Lopez, according to Autosport.

For us, it is important to confirm the stability over time. The business opportunities should rely not on making more out of the team, but it should be about making money out of the business platform we have,” added the businessman.

Lopez is not alone in his bid for Renault's shares, as Prodrive is also seeking an agreement with the French manufacturer. Either way, it is believed Renault will continue to stay in F1 as engine supplier, regardless of the company's decision later this month (board of directors meeting scheduled for December 14).
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