Current Alpine F1 (Formerly Renault)

Lotus Renault GP

FIA Entry: Renault F1
Car 9: Nick Heidfeld
Car 10: Vitaly Petrov
Engine: Renault V8
Team Principal: Eric Boullier
Technical Director: James Allison
Race Engineer Car 9: Simon Rennie
Race Engineer Car 10: Ayao Komatsu

Stats at end 2010

First Entered 1977
Races Entered 285
Race Wins 35
Pole Positions 51
Fastest Laps 31
Driver World Championships 2
Constructor World Championships 2

Team History

Renault first entered F1 as a constructor in 1977 at the British Grand Prix. At the height of the “garagiste” and Cosworth engines Renault entered a single car, driven by Jean-Pierre Jabouille, powered by a 1.5 litre turbo charged engine. Renault’s experiment with turbo charging probably changed F1 more than any other single event in the sport’s history.

Jabouille won Renault's first Grand Prix in 1979 in France and, up until their withdrawal as a constructor from the sport in 1985; Renault won 15 Grands Prix. They continued in F1 as an engine manufacturer until in 2002 they returned as a constructor having acquired the Benetton (formerly Toleman) team in 2000.

The “new” Renault Team

For 2002 Renault partnered Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button together and the team managed 4th place in the Constructors Championship. Button was dropped for 2003 in favour of the team’s test driver, Fernando Alonso. Alonso repaid the team’s faith by winning the Hungarian Grand Prix, the first win for a Renault car since 1983.

Jarno Trulli won the Monaco Grand Prix in 2004 but was replaced by Jacques Villeneuve before the end of the season as he and the team principal, Flavio Briatore, fell out amid claims of favouritism toward Alonso.

The Championship Years

Giancarlo Fisichella was brought in to replace Trulli for 2005 and duly won the first race in Australia. Alonso won the next 3 and a total of 7 in the season to win the Drivers World Championship and give Renault the Constructors’ Title they had long waited for; breaking Michael Schumacher 5 year run of driver's titles and and Ferrari's 6 year long strangle hold on the constructors title.

In 2006 the same pattern repeated, Fisichella took a single victory, Alonso 7 along with both the Drivers Championship and the Constructors Title.

Post Alonso (part 1)

Alonso’s departure to McLaren in 2007, replaced by rookie Heikki Kovalainen, left the team without a star driver to build around and the team struggled. Kovalainen outscored his more experienced team mate but a highest finish of 2nd in Japan was the best result on the track. The team finished 3rd in the Constructors Championship but as McLaren were disqualified from the championship in 2007 the result flatters to deceive.

After falling out with McLaren Alonso returned to Renault for 2008. Rebuilding around him, the car slowly improved and Alonso won races in Singapore and Japan. It later transpired that Alonso’s team mate in 2008, Nelson Piquet jnr, had deliberately crashed during the Singapore race with the collusion of team principal Briatore and Technical Director, Pat Symonds. This emerged in 2009 after Piquet was dropped by the team for Roman Grosjean resulting in Briatore and Symonds being banned from the sport and Renault being given a 2 years suspended ban.

2009 was a lean year for Renault. Alonso managed pole in Hungary but otherwise a single 3rd place in Singapore was the best placing the team could muster. The resulting bad publicity surrounding the race fixing allegations resulted in many of Renault’s major sponsors withdrawing finance from the team and put into question Renault’s continuing presence as an F1 team.

Post Alonso (part 2)

Alonso left for Ferrari in 2010 and Robert Kubica took his place, partnered by Russia’s first F1 driver Vitaly Petrov. At this time Renault sold a 75% share of the team to Luxembourg based venture capital company Genii. Renault continued to provide technical support and engines to the team. Kubica managed some podium places through the season whilst Petrov took some time to acclimatise to F1 with a best finish of 5th in Hungary, matching Renault’s finish in the Constructor’s Championship.

2011

For 2011 Renault sold it’s remaining 25% share to Lotus cars resulting in a change of team name to Lotus Renault GP causing a legal battle with Team Lotus as to who had the rights to use the name Lotus in F1. Renault will also race under a British licence this season leaving F1 without a French team for the first time since 1975.

Renault planned to retain the same driver line up but Kubica crashed in a rally car prior to pre-season testing and has been replaced by former team mate Nick Heidfeld. They will use the R31 chassis.
 
I thought Maldonado and Sutil were pretty much shoe in's for Williams to be honest

There have been talks that Maldonado's seat is under threat and is likely not to be retained. But Williams did come out saying Maldonado will stay.

But I wouldn't be surprised if Williams have two new drivers next season, a GrowJohn-Sutil line up would be very good.
 
As far as I can see Grosjean to WIlliams would be ideal and help Renault in that there is a French driver (although he showed up as Swiss on practice last weekend)

I don;t see how Maldonado can drive the team forward despite it being an awful year for WIlliams

With Grosjean you've got future world champion material about him

I don;t see any other seats left on the grid other than maybe Lotus Racing where Trulli's contract can be bought out. Although some say Ricciardo could be loaned to them by Red Bull if he does not get STR seat
Also whats the status on Marussia Virgin then as Glock has signed but is the other seat filled

Bouillier has been championing Grosjean so with a big PR machine and an impressive CV like this he sure will be on the grid
almost certainly
 
I'd like to point out that "Lotus" only have an engine deal until 2014 so has there been any thoughts on future engine deals

I am still wondering if Proton is willing to accept that another car manufacturer will supply engines to their F1 team or will they want to build their own engines?

I was wondering what about Lotus - Honda team up again ?
 
Lotus are currently in the process of building an Indycar engine for 2012 (John Judd is actually doing the work on it). Apparently it's a bit delayed, and possibly not all that competitive either.
 
Lotus are currently in the process of building an Indycar engine for 2012 (John Judd is actually doing the work on it). Apparently it's a bit delayed, and possibly not all that competitive either.

Makes me wonder are they hoping to continue with Renault then in F1 or try and get another engine deal like Honda or build their own

This is where Dani Bahar is going to look stupid
 
Anyone able to translate Spanish for me?

http://www.as.com/motor/articulo/solo-falta-firma-ser-reserva/20111130dasdaimot_3/Tes

I know Maria de Viollota is basically saying she's about to sign a deal with Lotus Renault to be their reserve driver. Apart from her being the daughter of ex F1 driver Emilio de Villota(who I'd never really heard of either) I don't know much about her. Interested if putting her in the reserve seat at Lotus Renault is because they think she has talent or a sponsorship tie in.
 
Sp♀ns♀rship, me thinks!

I don't think she's got much chance of continuing in Superleague since it is dying on its arse. She'd been driving for Atletico Madrid though, so underperforming is no surprise!
 
Interesting subtext to these 2 stories:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/96615 Sutil hinting that he'd be more than happy to partner Kimi at Renault, and:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/96610 Grosjean to test BMW DTM? From the sound of Jens Marquardt's assertion that "ve now haff ein sehr strong sqvad, mit vier uber-fahrern" suggests to me that Romain is not quite as much of a shoo-in at Renault as we might have been led to believe...

Perhaps there is more life in this tale yet?
 
I can't see BMW trying out a driver who they know won't be available in 2012...since Boullier is Romain's manager I think that's a strong signal he won't be getting the Lotus seat. Grosjean has experience of some not entirely dissimilar machinery from his World GT1 Championship days.
 
Looks more and more like Sutil doesn't it?

Which leaves Rubens for the Williams drive - depending on whats going on at Toro Rosso I spose
 
I can't see BMW trying out a driver who they know won't be available in 2012...since Boullier is Romain's manager I think that's a strong signal he won't be getting the Lotus seat. Grosjean has experience of some not entirely dissimilar machinery from his World GT1 Championship days.
My thoughts exactly G - he was actually pretty good in the GT40 too, wasn't he?

Must feel awfully like unwrapping the bottle of wine-shaped present to find it's actually a posh bottle of basalmic vinegar though...
 
...and wouldn't it also mean he joins Pantano in the list of "GP2 champs who failed to get an F1 drive afterwards"?

Considering all the Boullier build-up to him, it seems rather harsh to farm him out to DTM, doesn't it? Perhaps they're working out a deal with Williams instead...
 
I presumed that when Williams said that they would announce an experienced driver for next year that they meant Ralf was coming back.:D
 
Well Maldonado is at Williams for another season:unsure:

I think Williams will go with Sutil they need drivers who can finish races and not be accident prone or reckless

As for Grosjean , as already Bouillier been championing him and saying he is ready for F1 so I am sure being GP2 champion will add a bit of weight

as for Renault I get the feeling the frustrations of Petrov lately has not helped his cause , Senna though improved but might not have done enough

Its interesting that there seems to be a breakdown in communication between Renault and Kubica although the team are still hoping he can return to them seeing his the prized asset of the team
 
"Lotus" hope to challenge for the world title in 2 to 3 years .. They struggled to develop this season due to a lack of resources so are Proton going to throw more money next year now the naming issue has been sorted

Secondly they've got the Renault engine deal until end of 2013 so was getting Grosjean a ploy to get continuity with the engines
 
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