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(from Renault Press
Release) ING Renault F1 Team kicks off 2008 with Paris launch
The ING Renault F1 Team
today officially launched its 2008 season as it revealed the brand
new Renault F1 R28 and its driver line-up at Renault’s
communications headquarters in Boulogne-Billancourt, on the banks of
the Seine in south-west Paris.
The ceremony was
attended by Renault President and CEO Carlos Ghosn, along with 500
media and VIP guests from around the world, including Michel Tilmant,
Chairman of the Executive Board of ING Group, the team announced its
determination to return to the front of the F1 field in 2008, thanks
to a combination of aggressive design concepts in the new car, and
the talents of the sport’s only active double world champion,
Fernando Alonso, allied to rookie Nelson Piquet.
ING Renault F1 Team
President Bernard Rey explained that the team had set itself
demanding targets for the new season. “We expect to see the team
back in its normal place, fighting at the front of the field,”
explained Rey. “This is the target the team has set for the new car.
On the technical side, everybody has worked hard to overcome the
problems encountered last year. On the driver front, Fernando
Alonso’s return was an important boost. There is optimism inside the
team and within Renault.”
Rey also reinforced the
value of the Formula 1 programme to the Renault Group, as a pillar
of the company’s global sales and marketing strategies. “Formula 1
is a powerful tool for building brand awareness in non-traditional
markets, and Renault’s sales outside Western Europe grew by 16.5% in
2007” he concluded. “Our status as a leading team demonstrates
Renault can build vehicles that deliver performance, reliability and
high technology. From an overall perspective, Formula 1 is a
meaningful and profitable investment for Renault.”
R28: blending new solutions and
proven technology
The ING Renault F1
Team’s hopes for the 2008 reason rest on the all-new Renault F1 R28.
The car ran for the first time last week in Valencia, on Monday 21
January. During the four-day test, the car completed over 1500 km,
indicating strong early reliability in spite of numerous changes to
the 2008 technical regulations, including the introduction of the
Standard ECU and long-life gearboxes. The team also made encouraging
progress with set-up and performance development, allowing the car’s
debut to be judged as promising.
The new car represents a
shift in design philosophy from its predecessor, in order to extract
optimum performance from the Bridgestone tyres that all competitors
have used since the start of 2007. The new car features revised
weight distribution and a new aerodynamic concept to match, which
has been enabled by the introduction of a “zerokeel” front
suspension mounting. The monocoque and bodywork to improve the
packaging of the car’s mechanical systems while under the skin, the
SECU and new gearbox represent the biggest changes. As with all new
designs, the team has worked hard to improve stiffness and remove
weight throughout the car, to provide maximum setup adjustability
from circuit to circuit.
Technical Director Bob
Bell labelled the car “much less evolutionary” than its predecessor,
continuing: “2007 was a very poor year by our standards. For 2008,
there are high expectations inside and outside the team, and it is
down to us to give the drivers a competitive car. We have put the
problems from 2007 behind us and in terms of the car design, we have
looked at the problem afresh. The team pushed very hard in all
areas, and particularly on the aerodynamics. The front end of the
car has come in for special attention with a brand new front wing
and the front suspension. The rear end has also been heavily
reworked, and we haven’t neglected the basics. The car ran reliably
in its first test, and we made encouraging progress on performance
development last week. We are confident that the advances we have
seen in the wind tunnel will be reflected on track.”
The car will once again
be powered by the RS27 V8 engine, which remains substantially the
same as last year’s unit, given the engine homologation rules
currently in force. Engine ancillaries must be homologated by the
first race of the year, while the team has also had a heavy workload
adapting to the demands of the SECU.
“The transition to the
SECU was a big workload, and remains so,” explained Deputy Managing
Director (Engines), Rob White. “The unit itself is the most obvious
change for the new season, but there are many new software tools and
programmes that accompany it. We have had to adapt to them all, and
learn how to get the most from them. While we are not allowed to
develop the engine itself, there remains much to do to assure its
reliability in-car performance. These V8’s remain complicated and
sophisticated, and we must be vigilant about component supply and
quality, and concerning changes in the way the engine is used in the
car. We are determined to return to the front, and we have worked
tirelessly towards this goal for many months.”
Back to the future
The ING Renault F1
Team’s race drivers for 2008 will be double world champion Fernando
Alonso and rookie Nelson Piquet. Alonso returns ‘home’ to the team
where he won his two world titles after a sabbatical season with
rivals McLaren-Mercedes, and has already reacclimatised to life at
Renault. He has tested twice with the team this month, setting
fastest time at the recent Jerez test with the old R27, before
beginning the initial on-track development of the R28 last week in
Valencia. The Spaniard scored 15 of his 19 career wins with Renault,
and is the only man to have finished in the world championship top
three over the past three seasons.
“The entire team is
absolutely determined to get back to the top, they are pushing very
hard and that is a big motivation for me,” commented the 26 year old
Spaniard. “First and foremost, I am a racer, and I obviously want to
win. I will do my maximum to make that happen, and I know that is
what is expected from me. Some people have suggested that I have
unfinished business from 2007, but that’s not the way I look at it.
I am preparing for this season the same way I always have done: by
concentrating on my job. My first feeling with the car was good and
the team is working incredibly hard. It looks encouraging at the
moment.”
Nelson Piquet will
partner Alonso in his debut Formula 1 season, as another famous name
returns to the sport. While Nelsinho may carry a famous name, he is
determined to make his own mark in F1, and to build on the
experience he gained last year as test driver for the ING Renault F1
Team. The 2006 GP2 series runner-up was also the youngest ever
British F3 champion during his junior career, and the 22 year old
Brazilian will now look to confirm his potential at the highest
level.
“Melbourne still seems a
long way off to me,” commented Nelsinho. “We have a lot of work to
do beforehand, and I am focused on the next test sessions and our
development programme. That will help me improve my physical
condition too, because driving is always the best preparation; and I
can continue learning to make sure I am ready for my first Grand
Prix. My aim this year is to get the maximum out of the package, and
to do a good job for the team. There will be a lot to learn and I
not underestimating the challenge of Formula 1.”
The race driver pairing
will be aided in their test and development work by third driver
Lucas di Grassi, runner-up in the 2007 GP2 series championship, and
test driver Romain Grosjean, who will also compete in the 2008 GP2
series with ART Grand Prix. 23 year old Brazilian di Grassi will
conduct the majority of the team’s development work alongside
Fernando and Nelsinho, while Grosjean will get his first taste of F1
at a number of tests during the year. The 21 year old Swiss-born
Frenchman has already made a flying start to his season in GP2,
taking a double victory in the opening rounds of the GP2 Asia
championship last weekend.
A stronger team at every level
The ING Renault F1 Team
enters the 2008 season in rude health, following substantial
technology investments by Renault SA during 2007 and the acquisition
of new commercial partners for 2008. The CFD centre of excellence is
currently under construction at Enstone, and will be operational by
the second half of 2008. The facility will provide cutting-edge
development resources for the team and also for the development of
more efficient road cars in future Renault ranges. Coupled to a
stable technical team with a proven track record, the outlook for
the new season is positive.
“We have the strength in
depth to overcome our disappointments,” concluded Managing Director
Flavio Briatore. “Renault has invested for the future at Enstone,
especially with the new CFD Centre, which gives us the stability we
need to move forward. The new car is a change in direction for the
team, and we have been aggressive with the concept. When you add in
Fernando’s ability to lead the team on the track, it is a powerful
combination. Remember, in 2007 we finished third in the championship
with a bad car, that we did not develop for half of the season. For
2008, we have a good car – and a world champion driver. The
situation looks promising.”
