Symonds Willing to Stay at Renault

Renault engineering director Pat Symonds has revealed his contract with the French team is up for renewal at the end of the year, and insists that even then he is not interested in leaving the new outfit.

Symonds, who helped engineer Michael Schumacher to his first World Championship in 1995, was the subject of rumours at the Brazilian Grand Prix that he would leave Renault. But the team immediately put out a statement denying the stories, and Symonds has now set the record straight himself.

"My contract is up for renewal at the end of this year," he said. "But it has been up for renewal five or six times since I have been here."

Symonds said that as an engineer it is not unusual to have interest from other teams, and insisted that the rumours had grown out of nothing.

"People come to me all the time, every single year," he said. "It is normal. People have just been putting two and two together to make five. I really enjoy it here, it is a good team and a fun team, and that is very important to me."

Renault have become a real force in Formula One this year after a season of development while running as the Benetton team.

The French car manufacturer re-badged the team at the start of 2002 and, with two fourth-place finishes, British driver Jenson Button has put them up to fourth in the Constructors' Championship after three races.