Peugeot says F1 pull-out is final

The company, which has failed to win a Grand Prix since entering F1 in 1994, has sold its engine programme on to AMT, which will develop and supply the V10s to Arrows in 2001.

Peugeot president Frederic Saint-Geours said last week: "I want one thing to be made totally clear and that is that we are pulling out of Formula 1 for good. In life, one must never say never, but if you want my opinion, it is that Peugeot will never again race in F1.

"We have even stipulated in the contract with AMT that we will not do so for the next five years."

With manufacturer interest in F1 at record levels, Saint-Geours defended the company's decision to pull out: "Even though we are in a period when many major manufacturers are deciding to enter F1, we have the right to have a different opinion and to adopt different sorting and commercial strategies."

Peugeot's F1 legacy is less than impressive. Statistically, its most successful season was its first. This year, it has so far failed to score a point with the troubled Prost team.