It’s likely that a Mercedes-powered car will win this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, although Ferrari has gathered fresh impetus and a victory for the Prancing Horse cannot be completely discounted.

What is fairly certain, sadly, is that Renault-powered cars will not vie for the top spot. Neither will McLaren-Honda, although that partnership is still in its formative stages so can be forgiven.

But the decline of top Renault team Red Bull Racing has robbed the sport of a team that could potentially defeat the all-conquering Mercedes-AMG F1 squad.

Not all fans were unhappy to see the once-dominant Red Bull/Sebastian Vettel partnership stutter in 2014 after several seasons of tedious dominance, but it’s a case of being careful what you wish for, because the simple fact is Formula 1 is better when more teams and engine suppliers stand a chance of winning.

Important Red Bull team members have been extremely critical of the engine supplier, which has not gone down well within Renault.

Indeed, the manufacturer is considering its future in the sport, feeling that being an engine supplier is the worst all-round position to be in – you don’t enough of a share of the credit when the team wins, and you shoulder the brunt of the blame when the team loses.

It will be interesting to see how Renault responds to the raft of proposals announced yesterday by the FIA Strategy Group. Development of engines – or power units - and the cost of supply is going to be looked at by the rule makers, along with increases in race fuel allowance and limits on the usage of engine dynamometers.

Renault has three choices on the table: remain as an engine supplier, buy a team and rebrand as a factory-backed effort or withdraw altogether.

Bubbling away in the background is Renault’s involvement with Formula E, the all-electric single-seater racing series. Carlos Ghosn’s appearance at the final round of the FIA Formula E Championship in London last weekend was surely no coincidence.

Of course, on one level Ghosn was there in his capacity of chief executive officer of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. The French half of the alliance has confirmed that it will ramp-up its involvement in Formula E even further next season. 

But it wasn’t hard to wonder whether the presence of the company’s top man at the burgeoning series was a public message to F1 chiefs.