By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief
Renault Sport F1 Team became the third squad to reveal its 2017 Formula 1 car – the RS17.
The launch came at an event in London with the team also officially introducing race drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Jolyon Palmer, and test driver Sergei Sorotkin.
Having finished ninth in the constructors’ standings last season, Renault Sport president Jerome Stoll set the target for fifth place for the upcoming season.
“The RS17 is the first car which Enstone and Viry (Renault’s UK and French F1 bases) have been able to plan and develop from the outset and we’re satisfied by the fruits of this interaction,” said Stoll.
Photo: Renault Sport F1 Team
“For 2017, our performance targets are clear. We want to take a definite, tangible step forward in performance and results. Fifth position in the Constructors’ Championship is our goal.”
Cyril Abiteboul, the team’s managing director, believes the pieces have been put in place for greater success next season.
“For 2017 we are perfectly placed to take the step forward we all desire,” said Abiteboul. “The RS17 is the result of many long working hours spent over our two integrated locations and the result is a car we can be proud of. We have a strong line-up of personnel at all levels of the team and we’re proud to see Nico and Sergey join Jolyon in 2017.
“We are joined by a strong group of partners with BP, Castrol, MAPFRE and SMP Racing representing the best pre-season sponsorship acquisition campaign in the paddock. We are the fastest growing F1 team and we now need to prove our performance on track. Our objective is to score points at every round.”
The RS17 was the first car to be developed by technical director Bob Bell since the French manufacturer took over the team (formerly Lotus) last winter.
