Briatore undecided about future

Renault team boss Flavio Briatore has not ruled out leaving Formula One when his contract runs out this season.

The French carmaker hopes to be challenging Ferrari for the championship after finishing third in the constructors' standings last year, and Briatore's future could depend on results on the track.

"Thank you for worrying about my future, you are so kind," Briatore told reporters after the launch of the team's new car in Monaco on Tuesday.

"I've not made any decision. My decision is quite simple; Make sure that the car is competitive in Melbourne and after, really, thank you for caring about my future, but I don't have so many problems.

"I have plenty of time to decide. I want to decide, really relax and let's see. Sixteen years of Formula One is a lot, sometimes you have fun and sometimes you have less fun," added the Italian.

"I am always open-minded about everything in life. I am imagining everything, I imagine to be retired as well and to be in some nice place."

Briatore admitted he made a mistake in stopping the development on last year's car during the course of last season, on the mistaken assumption that second place was in the bag, but was confident the R25 would rectify that.

"It was impossible to develop the 2004 car and start the 2005 car (at the same time)," he said. "I stopped the development of the 2004 (car) because I believed it was possible to be second.

"But now everybody forgets. If this car is competitive, we are a genius. Nobody cares about the past, everybody is looking to the future."

Briatore is one of the sport's most colourful characters, escorting supermodels and enjoying a playboy lifestyle as a nightclub owner.

The Italian came to Formula One in 1989 from the Benetton fashion empire, leading the company's team to championship success in 1995 with Michael Schumacher, who also won the drivers' title in 1994 with the team.