Renault Reveal 2018 Car

(Image credit to: Renault Sport Formula One Team)

    Renault Formula 1 team has launched its 2018 car, the R.S.18, ahead of the 2018 F1 championship.

    Now in its third season in F1 as a manufacturer, Renault is aiming to continue to improve after finishing sixth in the constructors’ championship last season.

    The R.S.18 is a development of the team’s 2017 car, with a focus on improved suspension and aerodynamic down force.

    “We have everything to be positive about this year,” said team boss Cyril Abiteboul. “We have two very talented and ambitious drivers. Last year Nico [Hulkenberg] gave us exactly what we needed with his experience, knowledge, and ability to lead both on and off track. Carlos [Sainz Jnr] joined us at the end of last season and he brought something fresh, and he scored points to help us in the constructors’ battle. Without that we wouldn’t have finished where we finished.

    Our headline target is to show continued progression through results. We want to be able to showcase our progression in every regard: power unit, chassis, operations, drivers. Everything must improve and we must continue to grow.

    We want to demonstrate this in many different ways, from the teams we will be directly racing against, to the gap to the leaders, including also our fan base and the respect that our team will inspire in our way we behave on and off track.”

    Renault has also put considerable effort into improving its engine, which it will supply to Red Bull and McLaren in 2018.

    Last year, the Renault power unit was less than reliable, with a number of drivers suffering engine failures over the course of the season.

    With the reduction in the number of components available to drivers in 2018, Renault has focused on improving reliability, boasting in a press release that “The power unit has realized a very strong programme on the dyno in Viry-Chatillon to maximize performance and improve reliability”.

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
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Sainz To Renault At US Grand Prix

SAINZ JOINS RENAULT FOR US GRAND PRIX & REST OF 2017 SEASON

    Carlos Sainz will race with Renault from the United States Grand Prix onwards, replacing Jolyon Palmer at the manufacturer team.

    Sainz was set to move to Renault at the start of next season as part of the deal to allow Toro Rosso to break with its engine manufacturer early. But the Spaniard has been called up early and will spend the remaining four races of the 2017 season at Renault.

    “I really want to thank all my engineers and mechanics for their support and tremendous work throughout these years,” said Sainz, who has raced for Toro Rosso since joining F1 in 2015.

    "Toro Rosso is made up of a fantastic group of people and I wish them only the best for the future.

    Competing in these last four races with Renault gives me a good opportunity to get to know the team and the car earlier than expected. I am looking forward to start working with them.”

    It means Palmer, who joined Renault in 2016 after taking the GP2 title in 2014, is without a seat for the remainder of the season. He is currently assessing his options for next year, and has been linked by some to a possible move to Williams.

    “It’s been an extremely challenging season and I’ve been through a lot in the last three years, but it’s been a tremendous journey overall with the team,” Palmer said.

    "I can look back proudly at the performance in the second half of last season, my first point in Malaysia and of course a career high of sixth place in Singapore this year.”

    The switch is good news for Daniil Kvyat, who returns to Toro Rosso after being replaced by Pierre Gasly for the Japanese Grand Prix.

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Kubica Confirmed To Test For Renault

ROBERT KUBICA CONFIRMED TO TEST FOR RENAULT

    Robert Kubica will drive the current Renault Formula 1 car during the in-season test after the Hungary Grand Prix.

    The Polish driver was left with only partial movement in his right arm after a rally crash in 2011. He hasn’t raced in F1 since, but rumours about a possible return have spread since he began testing in a 2012 Renault.

    Kubica has already completed two tests in the old spec Renault and says his injury hasn’t affected his driving, but is yet to drive a car from the current regulations.

    “After this test, we will carefully analyse the collected information to determine in what conditions it would be possible for Robert to return to competition in the upcoming years,” said Renault F1’s managing director Cyril Abiteboul.

    Kubica will be joined by Renault junior driver Nicholas Latifi.

    Rules state that two of the four in-season test days must be completed by rookies. Kubica, who raced in 76 F1 races before his accident, does not count as a rookie.

    As Nico Hulkenberg completed the Bahrain test, Renault will only have one test day remaining for a current driver.

    Also confirmed for the Hungary test at the start of August is George Russell (Mercedes), Nikita Mazepin (Force India), Lucas Auer (Force India), Luca Ghiotto (Williams), Felipe Massa (Williams), Santino Ferrucci (Haas), Nobuharu Matsushita (Sauber), Gustav Malja (Sauber), and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari).

    Red Bull, Toro Rosso, and McLaren are yet to announce their line-up, and Ferrari hasn’t confirmed whether Kimi Raikkonen or Sebastian Vettel will join Leclerc for the test.

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Renault Launch R.S.17

RENAULT LAUNCH R.S.17

    Renault are aiming for fifth in the 2017 Formula One championship with their newly unveiled R.S.17.

    The 2017 challenger, the first car which Enstone and Viry have worked together on, was designed from scratch in order to conform to the new regulations.

    “It’s a great moment for everyone that’s involved,” said Managing Director Cyril Abiteboul at the launch. “We will know if it’s a fast car in Melbourne but the level or detail show what’s been done and achieved over the past few weeks… the level of integration between the engine and the chassis is just amazing. Thanks again for all the hard work that has been done by the team to get to this fantastic result.”

    Fifth in the championship may sound like a relatively uninspired target, but it is a realistic one, and one that fits Renault’s long term plan.

    “I think that 2017 will be a great year, an exciting year, and also a crucial year,” said president of Renault Sport Racing Jerome Stoll. “One year ago, we set the vision for the competition within Renault, we set the ambition for Formula One. And all along the 2016 year we have been working by investing a lot in order to close the gap to the best players.”

    “Last year was about putting together the foundation of our mid- to long-term plan,” added Abiteboul. “It’s been done in the office. Now we need to deliver on track.”

    Last season, in the Renault’s first in F1 since returning as a full works team, Renault finished ninth in the constructors’ championship with only three points finishes.

    Jolyon Palmer will remain at the team, and be joined by Nico Hulkenberg, who makes the switch from Force India. Serge Sirotkin will remain as the reserve driver and is expected to run more in free practice sessions this season.

    Four time F1 champion Alain Prost also joins the team as Renault Sport Racing Special Advisor, though he emphasized that he would not be involved in the day to day running of the team.

    “My position would be from a little bit more behind,” Prost said. “Sometimes it’s good to have this kind of situation. Being at the committee is very important and together with Jerome and Cyril what is important is to give the input and to give the best decision possible to have the best strategy possible to be a winning team in the future.”

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring
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Renault Confirms Palmer For 2017

RENAULT CONFIRMS PALMER FOR 2017

    Jolyon Palmer will remain at Renault Sport team for his second season in Formula One, despite only taking a single point so far in his debut year. Palmer will line up Nico Hulkenberg at the team next year.

    After Hulkenberg was announced to be joining the team, Palmer and current teammate Kevin Magnussen have been battling for the final seat at the team. Magnussen has outscored his teammate on nine occasions, and has six more points than Palmer.

    “Jolyon has shown his hunger to develop with us as the team grows and we have been impressed with his increasingly strong performances on track as the season has progressed,” said Jerome Stoll, the Renault Sport Racing Chairman. “We are confident that the combination of Jolyon and Nico Hulkenberg offers a very promising driving force to meet our goals.”

    Renault are hoping to continue developing. Hulkenberg’s commitment to the team shows that there are some in the paddock that believe it won’t be long until they are a race winning team, and not one that has only had three points finishes so far. And with Renault’s development, Palmer is hoping to develop too.

    “Having worked out of Enstone since 2015 I can fully appreciate the development of the infrastructure this year,” said Palmer. “This means I share the excitement of the team looking to 2017 and our new car. For me, it’s been a steep learning curve driving in Formula 1 and I know that I am performing better than ever, and that there’s still more to come.”

    This confirmation takes another seat off of the market. Sauber and Manor are yet to confirm their line ups, whilst Force India and Haas both have a single seat each up for grabs.

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Hulkenberg Leaves Force India, Signs With Renault for 2017

NICO HULKENBERG JOINS RENAULT IN 2017

    Nico Hulkenberg will be joining Renault F1 Team next year in a multi-year contract that starts in 2017.

    Hulkenberg currently races for Force India alongside Sergio Perez, who was linked to the team earlier this year before resigning for his current team. It is understood Hulkenberg signed with Renault sometime this week, saying he has always dreamed of working for a works team.

    His new team is definitely still in the development stage, a long way off Force India, who are currently fourth in the teams’ championship, but Hulkenberg believes next year’s rules change gives Renault a “good opportunity”. Renault have said they need an “experienced driver who is still hungry for podiums” to help drive their development.

    “Nico Hulkenberg fulfils this role perfectly and is an excellent complement to what we want to achieve,” said Jerome Stroll, Renault Sport Racing Chairman. “He is a highly talented, dedicated and motivated driver. Nico will enable us to harness all the hard work completed this season and translate it to improving results on track in 2017 and beyond.”

    “It has always been my dream to work for a manufacturer team,” said Hulkenberg. “F1’s new regulations will change the game and give our team a good opportunity. In the years to come, Renault will play a challenger role, which fits my approach to racing 100%. I can’t wait to become part of the family.”

    Hulkenberg also thanked Force India and said he was committed to his current team’s battle against Williams in the 2016 constructors’ championship.

    It’s not yet known who will be racing alongside Hulkenberg next season. Esteban Ocon is currently one of the drivers rumoured to be looked at the seat, as well as current Renault drivers Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer.

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Test Role for Sergey Sirotkin at Renault

Sergey Sirotkin has joined Renault Sport Formula One as a Test Diver, bagging himself running in the first practice of his home grand prix.

The twenty year old has experience in Formula One, as a test driver for the Sauber F1 Team in 2013 and 2014. The running in the Russian Grand Prix this year will be Sirotkin’s second practice session with a Formula One team on the Sochi circuit, after his outing in 2014 with Sauber.

Sirotkin missed out on a seat with Sauber in 2015, and hopes the new deal with Renault will lead to more success.

“This is a great opportunity for me, although it has all come together so quickly. I still can’t quite believe it. This is, however, the moment that all young racing drivers are working towards, and I am determined to learn as much as I can, as quickly as I can, doing the best possible job for the team while driving in Free Practice 1,” said Sirotkin.

The Russian driver is currently racing in GP2, and will start his second season in the junior championship in May.

 “My commitment to challenge for the GP2 Series title will be enhanced by such a great chance and I would like to thank SMP Racing for the great support given to my career, commencing in Sochi, in front of my compatriots.”

Renault Sport Racing Director, Frédéric Vasseur, said: “Sergey is one of the most promising drivers from the junior categories so it is great for us that he is joining Renault Sport. We saw that he was the most promising rookie in the GP2 Series last season, where he achieved a race win and podiums, and for 2016 he is very well placed to fight for the title. He has driven the Sochi Autodrom in a GP2 Series car previously so we have confidence in the job he will be able to do for us this weekend.”

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring

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Russian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Renault

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RENAULT SPORT FORMULA 1 TEAM

Kevin Magnussen - "Sochi is pretty unique with some interesting corners so it's a bit different from the other tracks we visit. The grip level's pretty good from the track surface too. In terms of layout, turn three seems to go on forever but you're flat on the throttle. Then there are a lot of corners where it feels you're braking too late but where the exit opens up and there you have to focus on getting the exit right. You have to be a little bit different in how you approach your driving there."

Jolyon Palmer - "My first aim (for Sochi) is to get back to a Melbourne level of performance where I was happy with the car. As a team too, we were happy with the level of performance as we were through to Q2 in qualifying and near the points in the race with both cars quite evenly matched. I haven't been able to replicate that in the last couple of races so that's what we've been focusing on. We know that Russia won't necessarily be the very best circuit for us, but I'm focused on my own performance to extract the very most I can from behind the wheel."

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
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Chinese GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Renault

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RENAULT SPORT FORMULA 1 TEAM

Kevin Magnussen - “I’m really excited and I really want to get those first points on the board. Give me a normal race with no puncture and no penalty and I think we can do that! My race (here) in 2014 wasn’t the best, I struggled with the car I had, meaning I finished in 13th position. Certainly I’m hoping for a better result on my second visit.

The (track) layout is interesting but it is a very wide circuit and there’s so much run-off area, it doesn’t feel as spectacular as it could be. It does have some really good fast corners; the entry to turn one is special in particular, you enter it from the fastest part of the track and by the end of what is a pretty long corner you’re at about 60kph!

There are two DRS straights so that’s obviously where you look first for overtaking opportunities. The biggest chance is into the first turn as the DRS zone starts very late on the start-finish straight so you can get close to the car in front. That said, I’m always going to go for any opportunity no matter where it presents itself on a lap!

We know our weaknesses and perhaps Shanghai’s not going to be the friendliest track for us in terms of these but I still think that if we have a good race we can challenge for points. I’m really pumped and excited.”

Jolyon Palmer - “I drove (the Shanghai International Circuit) last year in FP1 so I have a reasonable idea about the track. You can get pretty low temperatures there so there’s the challenge of long corners too, which means front tyre graining. It’s almost the exact opposite of Bahrain, which is rear limited.

There are some very technical corners, like Turn 1 that is pretty unique as it goes pretty much back on itself, on to the back straight, which is another long corner that induces graining on the front left. The straight is very long and there’s DRS so in the race you’ll be looking to be as close as possible to the car ahead to slipstream and make a move, then you’re considering your braking point. It’s one of the longest straights on the calendar and it’s right at the end of the lap. You really need to maximise the potential; you can’t afford to mess it up. The long straight means the tyres are being cooled and the brakes are being cooled; both of which you need to be working at their best when you get into the corner.

There are two sides to the track, you’ve got the really long straight with heavy braking at the end, then there’s the double DRS zones into the first corner as well so there’s overtaking opportunities there. The middle sector is more about high-speed corners where it’s not so easy to follow the car ahead but the corner itself provides the challenge. There’ll always be the element of looking after the tyres in Shanghai.”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk

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Bahrain GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Renault

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RENAULT SPORT FORMULA 1 TEAM

Jolyon Palmer - “I raced there in GP2 and it’s a track I have been successful on in the past. I won the last race I did there, then I also had a podium. I also drove in practice last year. The track is OK. There are a lot of straights so plenty of overtaking opportunities, so we will find out more about the car in this trim. There is a lot of track evolution as it is very sandy at the start of weekend, and then the track gets more and more rubber down, so conditions change a lot. The weather is almost always sunny, but it can be quite windy, which can blow sand onto the track. The fact it’s a night race is pretty interesting as it’s still very dry. In terms of set up, practice 1 and 3 are hard as they are a lot hotter than the race but there is a lot we can do in procedural terms, such as aero tests. I will be more relaxed now I have one race under my belt, particularly as I finished all 58 laps. I feel much more comfortable after pre-season testing and am looking forward to going to a track I know and have won at before.”

Kevin Magnussen - “It’s not the most exciting track, to be honest! The heat is a major challenge and it is tough on the rear tyres so having a car that looks after them will be an advantage. There are also four long straights so it is a power orientated track. I will enjoy getting out there and if you ask me if the race could be tomorrow I’d be there, no questions asked!”

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Article Posted By: Amy Hawk
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Renault's Revised Livery

Renault Formula 1 team have made a splash after launching their definitive colour scheme for the 2016 season.
Aiming to bring a bit of colour for the grid, Renault have chosen to keep their distinctive yellow-fold and black colours, but moving the emphasis onto the yellow, attracting comparisons to bananas from social media.

The team debuted its new colours at an event in Docklands, Melbourne, ahead of the start of the 2016 season.
To celebrate the new livery, the R.S.16 surfed the waves on a 7.5m long surfboard in a photoshoot with drivers Kevin Magnussen and 

Jolyon Palmer and pro surfer Ellie-Jean Coffey. 

For all those curious, it was just a show car. The team aren’t risking the start of their first championship in their return to Formula 1 going wrong because of a little water damage. 

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring

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Renault Launch 2016 Livery - Magnussen & Palmer Confirmed

Renault’s return to Formula One has caused quite a stir in the motorsports world and, when the company called the world’s motorsports media to a launch in France, they went rushing.

It appeared, afterwards, that there wasn’t really much to see. The car they put on display wasn’t the one they will be racing in next year, and the livery might change before too long too. The news that ex-McLaren driver Kevin Magnussen would be replacing Pastor Maldonado was already common knowledge, so did we really learn anything from the launch?

Formula One isn’t the only motorsports venture the car manufacturer is a part of. Renault’s name reaches far and wide and we really caught a glimpse of that at the launch.

“Motorsports still spark the imagination of both enthusiasts and everyday drivers,” said CEO Carlos Ghosn. “We are putting a comprehensive programme in place today.”

Renault has two aims going into the future. First, it wants to promote the Renault Sport brand to wider audiences, which is where the Formula One team comes in. The plan is that Renault’s involvement in the world wide sport will boost awareness of the brand, especially in markets where it is a newcomer.

The second is to showcase other aspects of the Renault range through their ventures in the Clio Cup series and Formula E. Renault committed itself to Formula E until at least season four with Renault e.dams, the current team champions. Renault will develop and supply the full powertrain to the team in the coming seasons.

So we didn’t see the car and we might not even have seen the livery, but the launch did show us the key personnel for Renault’s return to Formula One.

First, there are the drivers. Jolyon Palmer was confirmed at the end of last season to be racing for the outfit Renault took over from, alongside Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado. Recently, it became clear that Magnussen would be taking over from Maldonado, which was confirmed at the launch in France.

Mercedes development programme driver, Esteban Ocon, was also confirmed as the Third and Reserve driver.

Behind the scenes will be Bob Bell, who was appointed F1 Chief Technical Officer, Nick Chester, the Chassis Technical Director, and Rémi Taffin, the Engine Technical Director.

We also learned where things would be taking place. The Renault R.S.16 Chassis will be developed at Enstone, UK, whilst the power until will continue to be developed in Viry-Châtillon in France.

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Article Written By: Bethonie Waring

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