Renault chief operating officer Carlos Tavares is to leave his post two weeks after publicly saying that he would like to run General Motors or Ford.

Renault said today Tavares is leaving "to pursue other personal projects" and CEO Carlos Ghosn will temporarily carry out Tavares' duties while the management structure is reviewed.

Tavares said in a Bloomberg interview published earlier this month that Ghosn planned to stay at Renault for the foreseeable future and therefore he was interested in running GM or Ford.

"We have a big leader and he is here to stay," Tavares said in the interview. "Anyone who is passionate about the auto industry comes to a conclusion that there is a point where you have the energy and appetite for a number one position."

Tavares was appointed to the post two years ago.