Renault furlough "vast majority" of UK staff

Source: Xinhua | 2020-04-11

Renault has joined Williams, Racing Point and McLaren to become the latest Formula 1 team to apply for the British government's furlough scheme, as the sport struggles with financial losses brought about by the global COVID-19 outbreak.

The French manufacturer announced on Friday that it would apply for the Job Retention Scheme for "the vast majority" of its staff at its Enstone base from April 1 to May 31.

"It was agreed to top-up the amount allocated by the British government to guarantee a minimum of 80 percent of the actual salary for all team members," the statement wrote.

"Salaries of active staff, including management, will be reduced in the same proportions."

In addition to this measure for its U.K. staff, Renault also announced that workers at its engine base at Viry-Chatillon near Paris would be placed on a part-time schedule from April 6 for an initial period of 12 weeks.

"The very difficult human and sanitary circumstances that we are experiencing and the strict lockdown in France and England, as well as in most of the Grand Prix-organizing countries, do not yet allow us to measure the impact on our sport," said Renault F1 team principal Cyril Abiteboul.

"We must use all the measures at our disposal to get through this prolonged period of uncertainty and inactivity as best as we can."

Originally slated to contain a record 22 rounds, this year's F1 season has been suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic, with its first nine races having been either postponed or canceled outright.

As things currently stand, the first scheduled race is the French Grand Prix on June 28. F1 managing director Ross Brawn has said the sport may consider holding races without spectators present, as it looks for ways to salvage the 2020 season.