So by now we all know that Kubica has made the jump from the sinking BMW over to their French rivals Renault. Whilst this may not be hot news, I do think it is one of the most important pieces of news in a while, well that and Vettel declaring he won’t shave as long as he has a shot in the championship (I thought he looked a bit scruffy in Japan).

Back to Renault, as we have seen over the last little while in F1, manufactures are the most susceptible to the recession. The reason for this is very simple, big companies are run by accountants, not privateers as in the smaller teams. So when Honda HQ, or BMW HQ sat down in their boardroom’s and worked out plans to battle the annoying recession the accountants immediately started cutting various budgets. The first to go will always be marketing and motor sport, because these aren’t measurable in dollar terms by short sighted accountants. Never mind that guys like Ferrari are one of the most successful car companies in the world thanks in no small part to their marketing outlet that is motor sport.

My rather convoluted point is that manufacturer teams that don’t win, a category that Renault currently resides within, are living on borrowed time particularly during a recession. Which brings me back to Kubica, he is a top class driver and a worthy replacement for Alonso. That is why I think the Kubica move is important for F1, without Alonso I really don’t think Renault had any chance of winning and it would therefore only be a matter of time before Renault became the latest F1 recession casualty. Nobody wants to lose another team but also remember Renault are an engine supplier so the blow to F1 as a whole would be saddening indeed.

If you are not convinced about the precarious situation Renault are in at the moment, consider all the factors. In addition to losing Alonso, Renault have lost the valuable Briatore and Pat Symonds and weathered a significant storm in the form of Crashgate. That brick wall they hit cost them their biggest sponsor ING as well. There is also the other marketing outlet that Renault have in F1, Red Bull. Red Bull is making some serious noises about switching to the spectacular Mercedes engine for next year, and lets be honest it is the right move. If Red Bull do indeed make the switch then Renault will no longer have the luxury of seeing Vettel at the top of the podium with Renault written on his overall. Put all that together and it is actually a wonder that Renault is still there.

Renault need something special to help them survive in F1, and whilst I am no Renault fan I don’t want another team to fall by the wayside especially one with such a rich history in the sport. Remember that the root of the current team was Benetton and that team gave us a certain Mr Michael Schumacher. So hopefully Kubica can provide the spark needed to save them.

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