Cyril Abiteboul has played down suggestions Renault's F1 project could be affected by the Carlos Ghosn affair.

Ghosn, the CEO of the major car manufacturer Renault, is currently in prison in Tokyo.

Asked what impact the scandal will have on the F1 team, boss Abiteboul said in Abu Dhabi: "It's fair to say that Carlos Ghosn was instrumental in the decision to return in late 2015, but obviously it's not just one man's decision.

"It was debated at length in executive committee, at board level, and that was the decision of the company," he added.

Abiteboul said Renault has been in F1 for decades, and is currently in the middle of a serious project to eventually take on Ferrari and Mercedes for the title.

"We have no information that there will be any impact," he said, referring again to the Ghosn saga.