Renault name Bell as new team principal

Renault have appointed Bob Bell as their new team principal for the remainder of the season, after Flavio Briatore resigned from the squad over the ‘crashgate’ race-fixing scandal.

Bell, who was Renault’s technical director, will take the reigns of the team in a temporary reshuffle that will remain in place until the end of the 2009 season.

Jean-Francois Caubet will also be promoted from the team’s director of marketing and communications to managing director.

In a statement, Renault said: 'Bob Bell and Jean-Francois Caubet will both report to Bernard Rey, president of the Renault F1 team.

'Bob Bell will attend all the remaining races of the season and will be the team's spokesperson on all sporting and technical matters.

'The Renault F1 team is now ready to concentrate on the future and wishes to stress that no further comments or statements will be issued relating to the events of Singapore 2008.'

Four-time world champion Alain Prost has been linked to a full-time move to Renault as team principal from 2010 onwards, but this has yet to be confirmed.