Bell take the reins at troubled Renault.

FORMULA ONE BOB BELL has been appointed Renault's acting team principal for the remainder of the Formula One season in the wake of the Singapore race-fixing scandal.

Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds resigned from their positions as team boss and executive director of engineering after an internal investigation found them complicit in the conspiracy that led to Nelson Piquet Jr crashing his car in last year's Singapore Grand Prix.

Names such as Alain Prost and Olivier Quesnel, currently director of both Citroen Sport in the World Rally Championship and Peugeot Sport in endurance racing, had been mentioned as successors to Briatore.

But with Renault needing to take a more considered view on the matter, and recognising the need to have a senior figure in charge for this weekend's return to Singapore, Bell has stepped up from his position as technical director on a temporary basis.

In a statement released yesterday, Renault confirmed: "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."