Kubica to stay with Renault

Robert Kubica is to stick with the F1 Renault team after their sale to new owners last month. The Pole, one of the most highly-rated drivers, had a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave if the team was not wholly owned by Renault, but he has decided to stay for the season.

The highly-rated Pole only joined the team in October but Renault's decision to sell a significant stake to Luxembourg investment group Genii Capital raised doubts about his future.

"We are going in the right direction," Daniel Morelli told the BBC. "There were no doubts, really, but it was very important we understood who were in the key roles in the team and of course also the budget - it is fundamental you have that for the updates to the car."

Kubica raced for BMW-Sauber last season and signed for Renault after BMW decided to withdraw from the sport but it is likely he had an escape clause in his contract which covered a change of team ownership.

Morelli denied that Kubica was asking for more money.

"It's useless if the driver gets more money if you have a weak car and lose (performance) bonuses. It's better to score points and make podiums than to earn more money," he said.