Renault explains why it remained 'quiet' about the Ferrari engine
F1 News
Towards the end of the 2019 Formula 1 season, one of the lead stories was the speculation over the legality of the Ferrari engine. Most of the questions were raised by Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Honda and Mercedes. Renault seemed to remain quiet on the sidelines, but according to the head of Renault's engine department says their questions weren't made public.
"Being quiet is the wrong word," Remi Taffin says in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport. “We just didn't talk about it openly. Our questions to the FIA have simply not been made public. In this case, the aforementioned teams [Mercedes and Red Bull Racing] chose a different route."
Taffin explains that it is not always in his own interest to immediately prohibit a potential advantage from a competitor and to make a fuss about it. “Sometimes you have an idea of what you can gain, but you are not sure whether you are interpreting the rules correctly. Then you ask for clarification. If the FIA is satisfied with what you do, you are not going to make it public, because you want to keep the benefit to yourself."
Renault will continue to supply an engine to McLaren for the 2020 season. However, this time next year they'll only have to worry about themselves after McLaren followed Red Bull Racing through the exit door. From 2021, Mercedes will supply Zak Brown's team with engines.