Report: Renault adds Ilmor co-founder to development staff

It's no secret that the Renault – which dominated the latter years of the normally aspirated V8 formula with Red Bull Racing – has struggled under F1's new turbo engine formula. However, it could soon have some impressive new personnel firepower in its fight to get its V6 turbos up to speed: Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports that Renault has signed Ilmor co-founder Mario Illien to its engineering team.

Illien, the former Mercedes engine boss, has gone back to independent projects including MotoGP since Mercedes took its F1 engine program in house. He brings considerable experience with turbocharged engines in the IndyCar Series.

The report comes amid a growing crisis in Renault's F1 program, which has lost customers Caterham to bankruptcy and Lotus to Mercedes for 2015, while "semi-works" partner Red Bull has also expressed continuing frustration with Renault's performance and has hinted it, too, could go in another direction.

Red Bull's Helmut Marko has recently that the energy drinks giant is considering putting together its own power unit program, and if Renault is growing weary of its works involvement, a takeover of its Viry, France development facility by Red Bull with Illien at the helm could be a natural next step.