Renault Tag

FIA Formula 2 Championship leader Charles Leclerc edged McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne to top the timesheet on day one of the final in-season test of the 2017 Formula One campaign. Ferrari Academy driver Leclerc set a time of 1:17.746 in the closing moments of the session to beat Vandoorne’s best time by 0.088s. However, while the McLaren driver used purple-banded ultrasoft tyres to set his personal best, Leclerc’s P1 time came on soft compound Pirelli rubber. Vandoorne had run quicker than the Ferrari driver in the morning session but the afternoon was notRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor After his first F1 test in six years, Robert Kubica has announced that his goal is to return to Formula 1. In an interview with Sky Sports the 32 year old Polish driver spoke of his satisfaction in being able to drive a Formula One car again and declared that he wants to make a full time return to the series. “For sure it’s kind of a new start for me. I don’t know what it will bring, but definitely it’s a nice feeling to know I can drive anRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor With the rumors swirling around McLaren-Honda like vultures, Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg has gone on record saying he would welcome Fernando Alonso back to Renault should the two-time World Champ leave McLaren at season’s end. Speaking to Speed Week ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, the German driver was very excited at the possibility of Alonso considering a Renault return. “I think it would be great,” said Hulkenberg. “It would be great not only for the whole team, but for me as well to compete with one ofRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Robert Kubica has completed his first Formula 1 test in six years. The 2008 Canadian Grand Prix winner had an incredibly bright F1 future curtailed in February 2011 after crashing his Skoda Fabia rally car in the Ronde di Andora. The accident left Kubica’s arms and hands severely injured and put an immediate end to his single seater career. After intensive rehabilitation he was able to recover and went on to compete in various World Rally Championship and sports car races in the years that followed. RecentlyRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Behold the RS 2027 Vision concept car, Renault Sport’s detailed project on what the future of F1 could look like in ten year’s time. Aside from some more theatrical elements like the LED lighting and the impossibly low profile tires, it isn’t something too far of what could be in the realm of possibility. It features semi-transparent bodywork to keep the driver on display despite utilizing a jet fighter style canopy. It has all wheel drive, four wheel steering, and active aerodynamics. The deceptively simple shapeRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor 2017 may prove to be just the reset Renault has needed. One of F1’s four power unit suppliers, Renault is a full works team for only their second season back after it stayed away from the sport from 2011 to 2015. Crucially they have an all new car, as last year’s design was very much a warmed over Lotus. The new machine, the R.S.17 is one of the more attractive and purposeful looking cars on the grid. Piloted by veteran recruit Nico Hulkenberg and second yearRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Ferrari saved their best for the last day of preseason testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as Kimi Raikkonen blitzed the field en route to the fastest time of winter and the second fastest lap ever recorded at the track. His 1:18.634 very nearly reached the 1:18.243 Fernando Alonso set while testing slick tires on the Renault R28 in preparation for the 2009 season. Of far more importance to Ferrari, Raikkonen’s time is seven tenths of a second faster than Mercedes’ best lap and eight tenths better thanRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Just as many began to doubt Mercedes’ pace, the silver arrows struck back with Valtteri Bottas who set a scorching 1:19.310 lap of Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The new Mercedes man only used the super soft tires to set the best time of 2017 thus far, and looked very comfortable behind the wheel of the W08 where he stayed for 70 laps today. Williams man and yesterday’s pace setter Felipe Massa kept him honest with a strong 1:19.420 for the ultra soft shod FW40. Both of their timesRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief A tripleheader of launches on Sunday kicked off with Red Bull Racing officially showcasing its 2017 Formula 1 challenger – the RB13. The Milton Keynes-based team has put a hit out on Mercedes with its latest creation, having shown an aggressive design that features a sharkfin, common on every team’s new car minus Mercedes (although they are still debating the T-wing concept and sharkfin). However, what makes the RB13 unique is the slot opening in the tip of the nose. The Christian Horner-led squad took toRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor After Paddy Lowe’s shocking departure for Williams, Mercedes AMG Petronas has confirmed highly rated ex-Ferrari and Renault man James Allison will take the helm of technical director for the Silver Arrows. Allison brings a breadth of experience and is known as one of F1’s foremost experts on aerodynamics, something the 2017 regulations have put back in the spotlight. He worked at Benetton, Larrouusse, Ferrari during the Schumacher years, Renault during the Alonso years, Lotus during their brief resurgence with Raikkonen, and then Ferrari for the lastRead More