Renault says Williams will not test engines before February

The Grove team announced a Renault engine deal on Monday, in an agreement that sees the two parties reviving a relationship that brought them nine championships in the past.

Caubet said, however, that Williams will have to wait until the first test of 2012 before it can run its new engines.

Teams will get a chance to test before the end of the year in the young drivers' test in Abu Dhabi.

"No," said Caubet when asked if Williams could test the engines this year. "We will have always the same philosophy. Probably not the end of this year but probably the start of next year."

He said the deal with Williams was only natural given the successful partnership both enjoyed in the past.

"It was important because the goal of Renault was to provide four teams and we have such a fantastic history with Williams in the past due to the quality of the relationship. So to choose a partnership with Williams was something quite natural.

"We started speaking last year and it was impossible to finish last year, and we were nearly ready to sign before the V6. But with the V6 situation things were delayed a little, so we asked for the green light from Jean Todt (for a fourth engine supply deal) and he said okay. From a technical and a marketing perspective it is a very good deal."

Caubet denied, however, plans of taking share into any teams or buy its way back into the sport.

"No, I don't think so. I think the strategy is clear. We want to develop a technical partnership with the best teams and to see Red Bull Racing it is one of the best teams. After that we want to develop sponsoring, to avoid only a technical communication, but it is not in the goal of Renault to buy shares."

The Frenchman admitted Renault was 'very close' to securing a new engine deal with Red Bull Racing before the 2014 rules were confirmed, and insisted talks will now start again.

"We were very close to sign the deal before the V6, and we will start again now," he added.

And he made it clear the French manufacturer was happy to be in Formula 1 for the long term.

"We have a long, long term commitment now because it is too early to sign the 2014 contracts, but the 2014 contracts will be for five years so we are happy to be in F1, and we are quite happy to find F1 quite stable now. Even if we have some problems with Silverstone."