Renault launches its all new Formula One car for the new season, this is All new, nothing from last year,

Renault Sport Formula One Team today launched its 2017 challenger, the R.S.17, at a showcase event in front of international media and team partners, in London, England.

Highlighting new partners and sponsors including BP, Castrol and MAPFRE, the launch was also the first public revealing of the new Renault Sport brand identity, designed to provide a stronger link between Renault Sport Racing and Renault Sport Cars.

Powered by Renault Sport Racing’s R.E.17 power unit, the R.S.17 has no carry over parts from the R.S.16. The team has worked from a clean sheet of paper to respond to Formula 1’s latest regulations. 

It is the first Formula 1 car designed from the outset by Renault Sport Racing from its two locations in Enstone, England and Viry-Châtillon, France.

Present at the launch were Thierry Koskas, Groupe Renault Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Jérôme Stoll, President and Cyril Abiteboul, Managing Director of Renault Sport Racing, as well as Renault Sport Formula One Team’s senior management and drivers, and Alain Prost as Renault Sport Racing Special Advisor.

The R.S.17 was unveiled by race drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Jolyon Palmer, whilst Third and Reserve Driver Sergey Sirotkin was also announced today.

The car was unveiled with the hashtag #RS17Launch.

The 2017 Renault Sport Academy line-up was also confirmed, with Jack Aitken, Max Fewtrell, Jarno Opmeer and Sun Yue Yang all being supported by Renault Sport Racing through their 2017 seasons. Jack will contest the GP3 Series, whilst Max, Jarno and Sun will contest the Formula Renault Eurocup in an historic-high 30-cars-grid.

Jérôme Stoll, President of Renault Sport Racing:

“The R.S.17 is the first car which Enstone and Viry have been able to plan and develop from the outset and we’re satisfied by the fruits of this interaction. It’s a beautiful car. As well as the excitement of the R.S.17 itself, we also have a highly important new partner in BP through their BP and Castrol brands. 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, Renault Sport Racing Managing Director:

“For 2017 we are perfectly placed to take the step forward we all desire. The R.S.17 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.”

Renault e.dams has won the second race of season three of the FIA Formula E Championship With Seb Buemi taking the win.

Renault e.dams has won the second race of season three of the FIA Formula E Championship with a robust run up the order from Sébastien Buemi from seventh on the grid in the Marrakesh ePrix. 

Séb had qualified second at the Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan, only to be given a five-place grid penalty due to an issue with his car’s fire extinguisher, but team strategy allied to efficient energy deployment and exemplary driving saw Séb’s eighth career Formula E win.

Nico Prost drove a strong and mature race too, translating his sixth-position on the grid to P4 at the chequered flag. Nico had earlier been drawn in the first qualifying group and was unlucky to miss out on the final Superpole shoot-out.

Renault e.dams leaves Marrakesh with 74 points in the Championship, ahead of ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport and Mahindra Racing who both have 36 points. 

Sébastian has 50 points in the Drivers' Championship with his nearest rival, Lucas di Grassi, on 28. Nico Prost is in third position with 24 points.  

Renault e,dams, Sébastien and Nico will next be seen in action for the third round of season three, the Buenos Aires ePrix on the Circuito de Puerto Madero in Argentina on February 18, 2017.

#9 Séb:

"My cars were amazing today and the balance was really good. In my first lap I used a bit too much energy but after that we were able to save charge so we could be strong and push when we needed later in the stint, and this really worked for us. 

We know we have an efficient car and we had to take advantage of that after we started further back on the grid than we wanted. 

I was able to extract everything I needed from the car and it shows the team is working really well, so it’s been a very positive start to the season."

#8 Nico:

"I am happy about my race but a little frustrated that I wasn’t able to qualify higher. I showed good pace in practice but Q1 is the most difficult qualifying session to deliver in, even if it was very close to Superpole. 

I consumed a little bit too much energy in my out-lap, which meant I had to save a little bit in my first stint of the race. Nevertheless, I was able to overtake Daniel Abt and push strongly. Certainly, I would have preferred to have finished on the podium here – and in Hong Kong – but the most important thing is scoring points."

Vincent Gaillardot, Renault Sport Project Leader:

"It was interesting to test the Z.E.16 in race conditions at a permanent circuit as it gives us further information about the performance between the teams. Qualifying showed us that it is very tight between us, DS, Mahindra and Audi too. 

The problem we had with the extinguisher where it must have discharged its gas is an unusual one, but fortunately we were able to fight back in the race. 

Today we confirmed that our package is very efficient in race conditions and both drivers were able to take advantage of this."

Jean-Paul Driot, Senior Team Manager:

"It’s very good to enter the winter with such a strong points advantage, especially with a long period before we head to Buenos Aires. 

Sébastien drove a very strong race to fight back from his penalty which was backed-up by a strong race from Nico too, so it was a great team effort all round. 

We didn’t get distracted by the early pace of some of our competitors but focused on driving our own race with our own strategy which meant the result came our way at the chequered flag."

Alain Prost, Senior Team Manager:

"That was a great day. The team is improving with every race and even if we don’t start at the front we can still win. A little bit like in Hong Kong we weren’t able to show our very best in qualifying but it does look like one lap pace is closer this season, which is good for the championship. 

We focused on the race in our practice session preparations and this benefitted us especially as we were able to fight back from the penalty for Sébastien. 

The team and both drivers delivered what we needed and two wins for Séb and two fourth positions for Nico is a strong start to our championship defence. For sure our competitors are improving all the time, but we are determined not to sit back and let them catch us!"

Marrakesh ePrix Race Results

1. Sebastien Buemi

2. San Bird

3. Felix Rosenqvist

4. Nicolas Prost

5. Lucas di Grassi

6. Daniel Abt

7. Oliver Turvey

8. Jean-Éric Vergne

9. Nick Heidfeld

10. José-María Lopez

Team Championship standings

1. Renault e.dams - 74

2. ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport - 36

3. Mahindra Racing - 36

4. Andretti Formula E - 19

5. DS Virgin Racing - 18

6. NEXTEV NIO - 13

7. Faraday Future Dragon Racing - 7

8. TECHEETAH - 4

9. Venturi Formula E Team - 3

10. Panasonic Jaguar Racing – 0

Driver Championship standings

1. Sebastien Buemi - 50

2. Lucas di Grassi - 28

3. Nicolas Prost - 24

4. Felix Rosenqvist - 19

5. Sam Bird - 18

6. Nick Heidfeld - 17

7. Antonio Felix da Costa - 10

8. Oliver Turvey - 10

9. Robin Frijns - 8

10. Daniel Abt - 8

Renault takes the win at the first race of the third season from the FIA Formula e ePrix at Hong Kong.

• Renault e.dams opened season three of the FIA Formula E Championship in emphatic fashion with Sébastien Buemi taking his seventh career Formula E win and Nico Prost working his way back through the field to finish fourth in the HKT Hong Kong ePrix.
• The team leaves Hong Kong with 37 points in the Team Championship, ahead of ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport and Andretti Formula E who both have 18 points. 

From fourth on the grid, Sébastian drove in a measured and assured fashion to take one position on merit, another thanks to a rival getting tangled up in another's incident and finally P1 thanks to pit stop strategy. The win means Séb starts his Drivers' Championship defence with 25 points to Lucas di Grassi's 18.

If Séb's race was measured, then Nico Prost's was fully feisty from start to finish. From P10 on the grid, a mode selection issue meant Nico dropped positions on the initial lap and this was compounded by contact front and rear as the field compressed. 

On a charge and in the correct mode, Nico blasted past his rivals and worked up the order ending his race just shy of the podium in fourth.

Qualifying earlier in the day had been an eventful affair. Incidents in Q1, Q2 and Q3 meant delayed running and cancellation of Superpole, the net result for the Renault e.dams duo was P4 for Séb, P10 for Nico.

Renault e.dams, Sébastien and Nico will next be seen in action for the second round of season three, the Marrakesh ePrix in Morocco on November 12.

#9 Séb:

"Initially I thought we'd made a mistake when we made our pit stop under the safety car, but as we saw it all worked out perfectly. I'm happy with today's result but we certainly had to fight for it. 

We saw in qualifying just how hard everyone was pushing and the race was not easy for us. I felt a lot happier with the second car today as we made some set-up changes but overall this has been a great weekend and a superb way to start the season."

#8 Nico:

"I don't know exactly what happened on the first lap as I got stuck in the wrong mode and I lost a load of places. 

Fortunately I was back into the correct mode on the straight so I fought like hell to overtake everyone I could; I was really going for every gap possible! 

In the end our race turned out really well and we had a great strategy. It was a fantastic result for the team today so I'm really happy for everyone."

Vincent Gaillardot, Renault Operations Director:

"Our weekend finished a lot better than it started as we had an issue on one of Nico's car in the shakedown. We knew from free practice today that we had good potential, however qualifying was more difficult than expected. Our race performance was consistent, we had a good strategy and both drivers drove well. Séb was able to take the lead through a combination of factors but mainly thanks to a strong and sensible drive with an effective strategy. Nico had a switch-management issue at the start but was able to recover well. Everything we've seen in Hong Kong is promising for the season."

Jean-Paul Driot, Senior Team Manager:

"There is no better way to start season three. We saw that qualifying was very tight this morning but the quality of our drivers and our strong strategy played out well. We are happy to  be the first team ever to win in Hong Kong, just as being the first Formula E team to win in Monaco. These are fantastic milestones. I'm very pleased with how the team worked and the drivers delivered all weekend. Renault e.dams is a great combination of strengths with our technology, professionalism and efficiency giving great results!"

Alain Prost, Senior Team Manager:

"What a fantastic way to start the season! The first-ever Hong Kong ePrix certainly looked spectacular and we saw some very close competition. I’m particularly proud at how the team delivered in a strong and measured fashion across the whole event. Both drivers drove very well and the strategy worked well. Qualifying might not have been as good as we wanted but in the race, everyone gave exactly what was required. Séb drove a very mature and effective race whilst Nico showed great aggression to work back up the order after issues on the first lap. We’re all very much looking forward to Marrakesh." 

FIA Formula E Teams’ champion Renault e.dams today revealed the dynamic new livery it will use to defend its team and driver crown in the 2016/17 championship.

FIA Formula E Teams’ champion Renault e.dams today revealed the dynamic new livery it will use to defend its team and driver crown in the 2016/17 championship.

The champions unveiled a livery featuring a vivid blue colour with flashes of bright yellow that will make the Renault Z.E.16 stand out from the Formula E pack. The new livery will be on show at the Renault stand in the Paris Motorshow from tomorrow, alongside the Renault Sport Formula One Team R.S.16 car that currently contests the FIA Formula One World Championship.

‘The choice of the vivid blue colour for the Renault Z.E.16 firmly anchors the Renault e.dams team within the Renault and Renault Z.E brands,’ commented Renault Sport Racing managing director, Cyril Abiteboul. ‘We worked hand in hand with the design department of Renault to create visual synergies. Blue is the stand-out colour for the Renault Z.E range, so it was a logical choice to make the Formula E car reflect this.

‘Additionally, when you see the Formula E and Formula 1 cars together, the crossover points are notable. Both feature the colours in matt with the reflective flashes of the accent colours. Both also incorporate the monotone diamond logo we have put at the heart of the Renault brand this year. Our sponsors also agreed to use monotone logos which results in a pure, elegant livery and very legible branding.

‘At the start of the year we stated we wanted to promote Renault via the halo effect of Renault Sport Racing and we are steadily moving towards a cohesive identity in different disciplines. Through this, we hope that Renault will become instantly recognisable for fans and the public.’

The new livery is branded with HP, which becomes the team’s new official technology partner from this season. HP Inc. creates technology that makes life better for everyone, everywhere. Through its portfolio of printers, PCs, mobile devices, solutions, and services, it engineers experiences that amaze. As part of the partnership, HP will supply state-of-the-art PCs, tablets and plasma screens to the Renault e.dams team to aid race technical and sporting operations.

Jean Pierre Le Calvez, Global Head Customer Marketing, Alliances and Partnerships commented: ‘HP is delighted to be a major partner of the Renault e-dams Formula E team for the 2016/17 championship. As one of the world’s most admired and leading technology companies, it is vital for us to embrace innovation and to reinvent our products continuously while operating in the most demanding environments. This is what Renault Sport Racing is doing: embracing the unique challenges of a leading worldwide motorsport series that offers an excellent arena for us to perform at the highest tempo too. We look forward to working with the Renault e-dams team to deliver a unique competitive advantage through increasing the team’s design and operational impact.’

Richard Mille remains the team’s official partner for premium time pieces. Richard Mille’s success is founded upon three crucial elements: the best in technical innovation, the best of artistic and architectural features that contribute to the watch's ergonomics, and the best of fine watchmaking’s heritage and culture. From the very inception of the brand, Richard Mille has endeavoured to apply to high quality watchmaking techniques and materials found in the most innovative sectors, from the domain of F1 racing car development to the aerospace industry, with the goal of creating an extreme timepiece, without compromise, without gimmicks.

Richard Mille commented, ‘For us it is very simple: although we are deeply involved in F1 and classic racing cars and events, the brand is constantly focused on the future. Formula E racing is the future, and I want very much to be a part of defining and anticipating how it develops. The Renault e.dams team is leading the pack within this new racing genre, so they are natural partners for a brand like ours, which concentrates on integrating new concepts into a defining vision of watchmaking’s future. On the top of that, they are my friends!’

The 8Js logo confirms the innovative clothing company remains the team’s clothing partner of choice. 8Js will provide the team’s official kit whose colours and style will match the race car’s new livery while demonstrating the young brand’s talent for fit, practicality and elegance.

Sacha Prost added: ‘8Js has been a partner of the team since its inception. We are grateful to be part of a team that shares our passion for racing. The two first seasons have yielded a great number of wins and titles; we hope the future will be even better.’

Finally, LEMO Connectors remain official partner of the Renault-e.dams team. LEMO is the acknowledged leader in the design and manufacture of precision custom connection and cable solutions. LEMO's high quality Push-Pull connectors are found in a variety of challenging application environments including medical, automotive, industrial control, test and measurement, audio-video and telecommunications.

Alexandre Pesci, LEMO CEO, commented: ‘Having known Alain and Nicolas Prost for some time and wanting to expand our exposure into more motorsport categories, it was only natural for LEMO to choose Renault e.dams as a partner. Given the impact that Formula E has had since its inception, it is a great platform for us to explore new products, materials and cable technology. We look forward to how the partnership may develop in the future.’

Alain Prost, senior team manager for Renault-e.dams, commented: ‘I’m pleased to finally launch our 2016/17 colours that we will use to defend both titles. Our aims are the same as the past two years: to win the Teams’ and the Drivers’ championships. We have a good operational team and a good partner in Renault, who brings strong technical support. We also have two strong drivers that are very complementary. In all areas there is co-operation and cohesion, which is incredibly important. It is a real credit to everyone, and our motivation is as high as ever, even though the challenge before us will be very tough.’

Jean-Paul Driot, senior team manager for Renault e.dams, added : ‘The new Renault Z.E.16 car looks very good and we are looking forward to getting going again in what looks to be a very strong series yet again. We have to put everything we learnt into practice to achieve what we want to do this year. The objective is the same as usual – to win both championships, win races and to get the maximum amount of points possible.’

Wilton Classic Car show this weekend is going be a great event.

Visitors to this weekend’s (June 6/7) Wilton Classic & Supercar show are set to be wowed by some of the most extravagant, historic, expensive and amazing cars in the world.

The two day event in Wiltshire will showcase millions of pounds of classic cars and supercars. There will also be the most impressive Bugatti collection ever assembled and the first appearance together of the McLaren of Senna and Prost’s Ferrari since they famously crashed in the Japanese Grand Prix 25 years ago.

The 10^th anniversary of the Bugatti Veyron will be celebrated in style with 16 of the world’s most amazing exhibits in the CARS Bugatti Display.

The collection ranges from the oldest Bugatti racing car – Ettore Bugatti’s 1913 Type 18 which is a five litre chain driven car right through to the Veyron Pur Sang.

The Bugatti line-up includes the 1926 Type 41 Royale which has been painstakingly built around the original chassis. There is also the 1931 Type 54 Grand Prix car, one of only four examples in existence and the most original.

Highlights of the Wilton Classic & Supercar with Castrol EDGE are also set to include a LaFerrari, Porsche 918 Spyder, the Koenigsegg One:1, Ferrari F40 and Lamborghini Aventador together with a Ferrari 250GT California Spyder and Alfa Romeo 8c.

There will also be the first public viewing of an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Zagato Prototype which was discovered recently in the USA after 50 years and the Bloodhound Project car ahead of its world record attempt later this year. 

Bloodhound driver Andy Green will be at the show on the Sunday to talk to visitors about the amazing project.

“The line-up this year is truly outstanding,” said Lord Pembroke who hosts the event in the grounds of his Wiltshire home – Wilton House. 

“Every year we attract more and more of the world’s most exciting and exotic cars and we have had to expand to become a two day event to accommodate so many wonderful cars.”

In addition to the cars there will be interactive displays, a live car restoration project, live music and a wide range of exhibitors showcasing everything from the latest new cars through to motoring art.

There will also be arena displays from the Bolddog FMX Team, the UK's number one freestyle motocross team.

Event ambassador Tiff Needell will be on hand to host the daily parade interview sessions and talk to visitors about a whole host of motoring-related topics.

“The event has become a real mecca for motoring fans and families looking for a great day out and the line-up this year should offer something for everyone,” said Lord Pembroke.

More than 500 cars will be on display throughout the weekend with 150 classics on the main lawn on the Saturday and 150 supercars taking centre stage on the Sunday.