Andretti stops Speed standing in for Buemi at Renault
Andretti has denied Scott Speed to chance of a Formula E return at the New York ePrix next month.
Renault e.dams approached the team with the hopes that Speed would be able to replace Sebastien Buemi for the double header. He has FE experience, having completed four races in season one, and would be competing in his home ePrix.
But Andretti – who Speed currently races for in the Global Rallycross Championship – has blocked the entry, even though there would have been no clash with his current commitments.
“We were talking to Scott Speed but Andretti refused to release him,” Renault team principal Jean-Paul Driot told Autosport. “We have asked the question and we were given a no.
“It would have been a really good solution as he has done almost one season and he is American but it couldn’t happen.”
Renault has confirmed a driver to replace Buemi, who will have to miss the double header due to World Endurance Championship commitments. Driot did not identify the new driver, saying only that they did not have FE experience, and hopes a last minute deal with Buemi’s WEC team Toyota can be achieved.
“We will not decide anything until after Le Mans and we will then make it publish,” he said. “I know who we will put in the car if we have to make a change.
“There is no one around who has good experience in Formula E for us, so the driver we have will not have race experience.
“The Le Mans result for Toyota will be critical for the decision. If they win they will be happy because this is the most important race for them.”
The decision could also be critical for Buemi’s FE title. He currently has a 32-point lead of Lucas Di Grassi, but will miss out on a possible 58 points in New York. With only two races after the New York weekend, missing the races could cost Buemi the championship.