Renault targeting 2017 drivers decision by Singapore

Renault F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul is keen to finalise his team's driver line-up this month, with the Singapore Grand Prix weekend penciled in as a deadline to confirm one of several candidates that are on the team's radar.

Abiteboul told F1i, "Absolutely September is the month where this has to be clarified or at least start to take a very clear orientation. We have orientation, we’ve got preferences but we keep that for ourselves for the time being."

Renault obviously have the option to retain both Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer, although paddock pundits are not sure that Palmer has done enough to prove he is worthy for a drive with a works team, while Magnussen has hardly made a stellar return to F1 after a year on the sidelines.

Nevertheless Magnussen could well be retained and the smart money is that Esteban Ocon will be signed up for a seat with the French outfit in 2017.

"We’ve got a number of discussions going on," revelaed Abiteboul. "People are interested in the project, the project is a long-term project so I accept also that the drivers need to protect themselves in time."

Renault, with four world titles on their CV as a F1 team, have had a well below par season this year but Abiteboul insists the outfit is upwardly mobile, "Hopefully they don’t look at what’s going on at the track, but think about what Renault has always done when they joined motorsport."

"What Enstone as a team has always done also In Formula One, and also the time it takes to build a proper project. So I hope that the drivers we are talking to will factor that into their decision, but anyway we are very keen to get that sorted out as quickly as possible."

With Jenson Button and Felipe Massa announcing their retirement and Sergio Perez yet to confirm 100% with Force India, the driver F1 market is buoyant but deals are likely to be finalised within the next few weeks.

Abiteboul acknowledged, "I think that will speed things up a little bit. As far as we’re concerned we were not necessarily the most exposed to those retirements, we are more interested in the young people than the people retiring."

"But obviously they are collateral impact so we will see, maybe by Singapore we’ll have a better clarity about what is going to happen," added the Frenchman.