f1buzz.net

Full name

ING Renault F1 Team

Base

Enstone, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

Team principal

Flavio Briatore

Executive director

Pat Symonds

Technical director

Bob Bell

Race drivers

Fernando Alonso

Romain Grosjean

Test drivers

Lucas di Grassi

Chassis

Renault R29

Engine

Renault R27

Tyres

Bridgestone

Debut

1977 British Grand Prix

Constructors’ Championships

2

Drivers’ Championships

2

2008 position

4th (80 points)

Renault has a long if intermittent history of involvement in motor racing, including Ferenc Szisz winning the first French Grand Prix, usually regarded as marking the birth of Grand Prix motor racing. Renault has competed in Formula One (originally via subsidiary Renault Sport), both as an engine supplier and as a constructor from the late 1970s to the present day, with several breaks. Renault introduced the turbo engine to Formula One when they debuted their first car, the Renault RS01 at Silverstone in 1977. Although the Renault team won races and competed for world titles, it was as a supplier of normally aspirated engines to the Benetton and Williams teams in the 1990s that Renault first tasted world championship success. Renault returned to the category as a constructor in 2001 by taking over the Benetton team, which was renamed Renault in 2002. Their first championship as a constructor was achieved in 2005; the same year that they won their first drivers’ championship with former test driver, Fernando Alonso, repeating that feat in 2006.

Renault F1 is coordinated from the team’s UK base at Enstone, Oxfordshire where the chassis are designed and built. Engines are manufactured at Renault’s facility at Viry-Châtillon outside Paris. As well as their championship wins in 2005 and 2006, Renault also contributed to 5 driver’s world championships (1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997) and 6 constructor’s world championships (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997) as engine supplier for Benetton and Williams.

Currently, Renault F1 is responsible for Renault’s involvement in Formula One; Renault’s other motorsport activities are conducted through Renault Sport.

This page is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article “Renault F1″