Renault has denied reports it has recruited renowned former F1 engine guru Mario Illien to help close the gap on dominant Mercedes.
Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reported at the weekend that the Swiss, best known for his company Ilmor that produced title-winning Mercedes engines for McLaren, has been signed up to help Renault end its turbo V6 struggles.
But the Russian website f1news.ru quoted Renault chief Cyril Abiteboul as denying the media reports at the scene of the US grand prix.
"I read that we have supposedly signed Mario, but it’s not true," he said.
"We have negotiated with his company because we are considering it as a supplier.
"The power unit is comprised of many parts — we do not do everything ourselves. We are negotiating but we have not decided whether Ilmor will be a supplier," Abiteboul insisted.