Renault confirms Court of Appeal presence.

Renault F1 has confirmed that it will participate in the Court of Appeal hearing designed to clear up the mass damper 'situation' on 22 August, but insists that it will abide by whatever decision that judging panel hands down.

Engineering director Pat Symonds has revealed that the team intends to put forward its side of the story, even though the hearing is really being fought over by the sport's governing body, the FIA, and its own stewards, who ruled that the dampers were legal, only to see the decision opposed by the powers that be in Paris. The outcome was that Renault, and every other team that had developed mass damper systems, removed them from their cars in Germany, prior to the appeal being confirmed, which allowed the systems to be used in Hungary.

The difference in performance between the two races, for title contender Renault in particular, was notable, and the regie lost valuable ground to chief pursuer Ferrari at Hockenheim when Fernando Alonso could manage no better than fifth place. The Spaniard was a potential winner in Hungary last weekend, only to retire with mechanical problems, but saw his lead trimmed by only one point as Ferrari and Michael Schumacher also struggled in the changeable conditions.

The hearing, which will take place in Paris in the build-up to the Turkish Grand Prix, will centre on 'decision #8', in which the stewards ruled that the mass damper units 'must be considered as permissible', and Renault will attend the court as a particularly interested party, having pioneered the system for F1 use late in 2005. The team, unlike those to have come to the idea late, was thus able to integrate it in the design of its 2006 car, gaining an advantage in the way the R26 uses its tyres.

"The team will attend the hearing and will put forward a case," Symonds confirmed, "It is not appropriate to comment on the technicalities of that case at this moment. However, we have every faith in the International Court of Appeal. We believe it is an unbiased final judgement, and we will respect its decision."