Renault has paid tribute to the outgoing Pastor Maldonado and thanked him for his service to the Enstone operation across the past two years. Maldonado competed for Lotus in 2014 and 2015 and had been initially retained by Renault when it acquired the outfit, though was dropped in favour of Kevin Magnussen, ostensibly due to sponsorship problems. Maldonado, who previously spent three years with Williams, scored 29 points for Lotus and placed 14th overall in last year's championship, as the team finished sixth in the […]

Jolyon Palmer says he expects 2016 to be a 'transitional' year for Renault but believes the potential at the outfit is 'immense.' Palmer spent 2015 as Lotus' test and reserve driver and was promoted to a race seat in the wake of Romain Grosjean's departure to Haas, with Renault retaining the Briton when it acquired the Lotus operation. Palmer says that Renault's involvement changed the attitude at its Enstone factory and he is thrilled to be a part of the programme. "It’s a massively exciting […]

Renault Racing Director Frederic Vasseur believes new recruit Kevin Magnussen has the ability to win races and titles with the outfit. Vasseur has spent two decades at the helm of ASM, which became ART Grand Prix, in GP2 and GP3, guiding youngsters such as Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg and Romain Grosjean. Vasseur reckons that Magnussen, who claimed the Formula Renault 3.5 title in 2013 and spent 2014 racing for McLaren, can help return Renault to the top of the standings. "Kevin has a […]

Renault Managing Director Cyril Abiteboul says the manufacturer has 'realistic' expectations as it prepares to return to Formula 1 as a full works team in 2016. Renault has taken over the Lotus squad which finished sixth in 2015 and has recruited Kevin Magnussen to partner Jolyon Palmer, with Frederic Vasseur installed as Racing Director. Abiteboul is aware that the upcoming campaign is likely to be a rebuilding year, following Renault's comparatively late decision to commit to a Formula 1 comeback. "In Formula 1, we have […]

Bob Bell says there is "tremendous potential" at Renault after he re-joined the operation as its new Chief Technical Officer. Bell spent two years at Enstone in the late 1990s and first returned in 2001, acting as Technical Director between 2003 and 2009, during which period Renault claimed two world championships. Bell switched to Mercedes in 2011 but departed the set-up in 2014 and has now returned to oversee the two divisions of Renault's Formula 1 team: the chassis design at Enstone and the engine […]

To go from being made redundant on his birthday to securing a seat with a manufacturer committed to achieving long-term Formula 1 success in the space of less than four months is quite the turnaround for Kevin Magnussen. The Dane faced a career outside of Formula 1 as a dab of misfortune and bad timing led to him being on the brink of the sport’s scrapheap at the tender age of 23, frustratingly mirroring the path of father Jan. More: Magnussen joins Renault Sport F1 […]

The newly renamed Renault Sport Formula 1 team has confirmed that Kevin Magnussen will race for the squad this season. Magnussen has replaced Pastor Maldonado, who announced on Monday that he will not be competing in the sport in 2016, ostensibly due to sponsorship problems. Magnussen will partner Jolyon Palmer, who was promoted from the role of reserve driver by Lotus prior to Renault’s takeover of the operation. The news was confirmed during Renault’s comeback press conference at Guyancourt on Wednesday. "It’s an incredible feeling […]

Reigning GP3 Series champion Esteban Ocon has returned to Enstone to take up the role of reserve driver at Renault. Ocon, 19, was affiliated with the outfit courtesy of his association with Gravity Sports and participated in free practice for the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Ocon picked up Mercedes backing in 2015 and collected the GP3 title, his second successive championship triumph after picking up the Formula 3 crown in 2014. Ocon was unveiled during Renault's official comeback launch at Guyancourt on Wednesday, alongside […]

Renault Sport Formula 1 team has announced the appointment of Frederic Vasseur as its new Racing Director, as it prepares to return to Formula 1 as a full works team. Vasseur has been prominent in the junior motorsport scene for the past two decades, having run the ASM squad, which evolved into ART Grand Prix. ART has enjoyed extensive success in junior categories, collecting both Drivers’ and Teams’ titles in GP2 and GP3 in 2015. Renault has restructured its management set-up and dispensed with the […]

Renault has finalised its purchase of the Lotus Formula 1 team ahead of its full-scale return as a works outfit next season. Renault signed a letter of intent to buy the squad in September and formally confirmed its intentions at the start of December, though still had to complete the final stages. "On Friday 18 December 2015, Groupe Renault and Gravity Motorsport S.a.rl, an affiliate of Genii Capital SA, formally and successfully completed the acquisition by Groupe Renault of a controlling shareholding of Lotus F1 Team Limited," read a […]

Jolyon Palmer says that he wants to remain with Renault long-term, as he prepares to make his Formula 1 debut with the Enstone outfit in 2016. Palmer, the 2014 GP2 champion, joined Lotus at the start of the year as its reserve driver and participated in 13 Friday practice sessions alongside several test outings in the E23 Hybrid. Romain Grosjean's departure to Haas created a vacancy and Palmer inked a deal to race for the team in 2016, next to Pastor Maldonado, but is already […]

Renault has formally confirmed its purchase of the Lotus squad, paving the way for its return as a full works team in 2016. Renault operated the Enstone outfit between 2002 and 2009, after which it was owned by Genii Capital, which changed the name of the team to Lotus prior to 2012. Renault has remained in the sport as an engine supplier to several teams and having signed a letter of intent in September, will now return to the squad which finished sixth in the […]