Renault loses two main sponsors

ING and Mutua Madrilena have stopped their collaboration with Renault, four races from the end of the season. It was first the Spanish insurer which announced its decision, not wishing to be associated with “crashgate” and its consequences. In terms of image, it is the intentional accident which poses a problem for Mutua Madrilena, who does not want to be linked to an event which could have endangered the lives of drivers and track marshals.

The insurer withdrew, recalling that the contract linking it to Renault stipulated that the team “must comply with all the rules and regulations of the FIA. Its non-compliance leads Mutua to unilaterally and immediately terminate the contract. » Mutua Madrilena thus asked that its name and logo be removed from the team's single-seaters. On the other hand, the contract which binds the insurer to Fernando Alonso, exonerated in the “Singapore affair”, remains in force.

It was then ING which announced its withdrawal “with immediate effect”. The Dutch insurance banking company withdrew for the same reasons, saying it was “deeply disappointed with the turn of events”. ING had to end the partnership with Renault F1 Team at the end of the season but the appearance of team executives before the FIA ​​World Council convinced the Dutch company to withdraw prematurely.

It is therefore without its two main sponsors that Renault will experience this 2009 Singapore Grand Prix, one year after the 2008 edition which caused so much talk in the paddocks in recent weeks. For the Franco-British team, this 2009 season is one of all difficulties.