Renault not commenting on new team chief

HAMBURG - The Renault Formula One team would not comment Tuesday on a possible successor to Flavio Briatore as team principal, with some reports saying former world champion Alain Prost is a leading candidate.

A spokeswoman referred to the team’s press statement from Monday which said further information would be issued in the next few days.

Four-time world champion Prost drove for Renault in F1 from 1981 to 1983 and also ran his own Formula One team from 1997 to 2001.

Briatore left Renault last week and was Monday banned from FIA-sanctioned events for an unlimited period as a result of the race-fixing scandal at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

The Renault team, which was handed a suspended two-year ban, is expected to announce a new team principal in time for Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix.

According to Britain’s Guardian newspaper last week, there are five candidates for the job including Prost.