The last race of the 2016 season gives a double finish for the Renault team.

• Renault Sport Formula One Team concluded its first FIA Formula 1 Championship season with seventeenth position for Jolyon Palmer and an early retirement from Kevin Magnussen.
• Renault Sport Formula One Team ended the year in ninth position in the Constructors’ Championship with Kevin Magnussen sixteenth and Jolyon Palmer eighteenth in the Drivers’ Championship.

Jolyon made a great start from P15 to end the first lap in eleventh position, however he struggled with tyre degradation later in the race. 

He also received a five-second penalty for contact made with Carlos Sainz. Kevin’s final race for the team saw contact made at turn eight on the first lap. 

He pitted for a front-wing change, however he retired shortly afterwards due to suspension damage as a result of the first lap incident. 

Renault Sport Formula One Team ended the year in ninth position in the Constructors’ Championship with Kevin Magnussen sixteenth and Jolyon Palmer eighteenth in the Drivers’ Championship.

Kevin started the race from P18 with new set of Pirelli’s soft compound tyres. He stopped at the end of the first lap to replace his front wing and receive a new set of soft tyres following contact at turn eight. He retired with five laps completed.

Jolyon started the race from P15 on a set of Pirelli’s ultra soft tyres. He made a storming start to P11, pitting for sets of new soft tyres on laps 7 and 21. He made a final stop on lap 41 for a fresh set of the super soft tyres. 

Kevin Magnussen, #20, R.S.16-04: Started P18, DNF

“I made a poor start then was in a fight with Kvyat at turn eight when I had contact from another car – I think it was a Manor or a Sauber – and my suspension was damaged by this. 

We tried to continue but it was clear that something was broken. It wasn’t the way I wanted to end what I thought was a good season with a great bunch of people. 

Results-wise it hasn’t been the best but I’ve learned a lot, I’ve had a great time with the team and I got to know a lot of really good people. 

I wish Renault Sport all the best in the future and I’m sure we’ll all still have fun in the paddock.”

Jolyon Palmer, #30, R.S.16-05: Started P15, finished P17

“I had a really good start - up to eleventh - and was keeping pace with the Williams for a while, but unfortunately the tyre degradation was unbelievable for us. 

The overall pace was okay, but the tyres were running out, which meant I had to do three stops. I was trying to fight with everyone through the race but I had no grip which makes it very difficult. 

I tried to pass Carlos as he left a gap, but he braked a bit early and I had no grip to slow down. It’s a real shame.”

Fred Vasseur, Team Principal

“That was not the Grand Prix we wanted to end our season. Kevin’s race was cut short as a result of front suspension damage sustained on the first lap then Jolyon’s great start didn’t translate to a great finish come the chequered flag. 

Today’s result should not detract from all the progress made at Viry and Enstone over the last year as we will be in a far better position to fight for more points next season. 

Thank you to Kevin in his final race for us, he is a popular driver and we wish him well for the future. Congratulations to this year’s champions, Nico Rosberg and Mercedes AMG. 

They have shown us how championships can be won with fine displays through the season. We hope to be giving them more of a challenge over the next few years.”

After a dreadful Brazilian F1 race with atrocious weather, Palmer crashed out & Magnussen finished in P14 from a p18 start.

Kevin started the race from P18 with a new set of Pirelli’s full wet tyres. He stopped on lap 7 for a new set of intermediate tyres, fitted new wets during the first red flag on lap 20, used wets during the second red flag on lap 28 and pitted on lap 41 for a new set of intermediate tyres.

Jolyon started the race in P16 on new wet tyres. He stopped on lap 9 for a new set of intermediate tyres and on lap 17 for a new set of wet tyres.

Kevin Magnussen, #20, R.S.16-04: Started P18, finished P14

“The conditions today were definitely testing, especially turn 12 which isn’t actually a corner in the dry but became a real corner in the wet! 

There was clear aquaplaning there, and even if there hadn’t been, it was still on the limit. I do wish we could have driven more today though. 

Of course you should have red flags to clear a crash and safety should always be the priority, but after that, I feel we were too careful with driving in the wet. At the end of the day, it’s up to us drivers to slow down enough to get around it. 

We just need to drive to the conditions and not go over the limit, which is exactly what we do in the dry.”

Jolyon Palmer, #30, R.S.16-05: Started P16, DNF

“The conditions this afternoon were very difficult and unfortunately we had to retire following contact with Kvyat. 

I had some more grip at that point on full wet tyres and I was faster than cars in front on intermediates. I wanted to make up some places. In the end the visibility was so bad that I couldn’t even see past my steering wheel. 

I didn’t see where the corner went, I knew that there was the pitwall and pitlane somewhere; I just couldn’t see anything. Kvyat in front of me was slower and I hit him. 

Around the lap, the visibility wasn’t too bad and there were some places where you aquaplaned but coming up the hill you had no traction and couldn’t see if you were behind anyone else. 

You had to guess where you were going, there was water on track and rivers of water running across. It was really tricky.”

Fred Vasseur, Team Principal

“It was a tough afternoon for the team and a tricky race in wet weather conditions for everyone. The biggest issue we encountered was the performance of our car with the full wet tyres. 

We weren’t able to perform over long stints with these sets of tyres and had to switch to intermediate tyres whenever it was possible but in the end it wasn’t enough for us to get into the points with Kevin. 

Unfortunately Jolyon sustained front suspension damage when he hit Kvyat and we had to retire him. We are now looking forward to the ultimate race of the season in Abu Dhabi where I hope we can have a race in better conditions.”

British Driver Jolyon Palmer retains his seat with Renault for the 2017 Season and is joined by Nico Hulkenberg.

Renault Sport Formula One Team is proud to announce that it will retain Jolyon Palmer for the 2017 season. Jolyon will join the recently-announced Nico Hülkenberg to complete the team’s 2017 race driver line-up.

Twenty-five year old Jolyon joined Renault Sport Formula One Team’s predecessor Lotus F1 Team as Third Driver at the start of the 2015 season, graduating to race driver for 2016 with Renault Sport Formula One Team. 

To date he has started 18 Grands Prix, scoring his first World Championship point at this year’s Malaysian Grand Prix. He is the 2014 GP2 Series Champion.

Jérôme Stoll, Renault Sport Racing Chairman said: “We are delighted to retain Jolyon as our driver for the 2017 season. Jolyon has shown his hunger to develop with us as the team grows and we have been impressed with his increasingly strong performances on track as the season has progressed. We are confident that the combination of Jolyon and Nico Hülkenberg offers a very promising driving force to meet our goals. Jolyon understands the team’s spirit and motivates everyone he works with. The line-up of Jolyon and Nico harnesses the benefits of continuity and fresh blood. I am sure that having Nico as a team-mate will help push Jolyon to greater achievements. We thank Kevin Magnussen for his efforts in 2016 as he has done a great job for us this year. We wish him all the best for 2017 and beyond.”

Jolyon Palmer said: “I’m over the moon to be racing with Renault Sport Formula One Team for a second season and I can’t wait to reward the team’s faith in me on track. Having worked out of Enstone since 2015 I can fully appreciate the development of the infrastructure this year. This means I share the excitement of the team looking to 2017 and our new car. For me, it’s been a steep learning curve driving in Formula 1 and I know that I am performing better than ever, and that there’s still more to come. There is tremendous drive and enthusiasm in Enstone and Viry looking to next year and I am honoured to be part of this.”

Both Renaults finish the 2016 Mexican Grand Prix with Palmer gaining spots whilst Magnussen drops.

• Renault Sport Formula One Team’s Jolyon Palmer put in a strong and strategic charge from the back of the grid to take fourteenth in Sunday’s Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix.
• Jolyon started P21 and made a pit stop under the safety car at the end of the first lap. This meant he used Pirelli’s medium compound tyres for a massive 70-lap stint.
• Kevin Magnussen started from P14 and his race strategy was modified from a one to a two-stop strategy, with a final stint on the super soft tyres.

Kevin started the race from P14 with new set of Pirelli’s soft compound tyres. He stopped on lap 12 for a new set of medium tyres, then stopped on lap 51 for a new set of the super soft compound tyres.

Jolyon started the race from P21 – gaining one position as Romain Grosjean vacated the spot to start from the pit lane. Jolyon pitted at the end of the first lap under safety car conditions to exchange his new super soft tyres for a new set of mediums, which he ran with until the chequered flag.

Kevin Magnussen, #20, R.S.16-04: Started P14, finished P17

“Last weekend a late stint on the super soft tyres worked really well for us but today it wasn’t the same story. We just didn’t seem to have the outright pace we needed on any of the tyres we used. It was a frustrating race for me. My first set of soft tyres dropped away as we expected but then we didn’t seem to be able to maintain the pace on the medium tyres so we changed strategy to the super softs, but by then we were too far behind. I’m hoping that we can have a much better race in Brazil.”

Jolyon Palmer, #30, R.S.16-02: Started P21, finished P14

“I think fourteenth is as good as we could have got from starting at the back, so I’m happy! I had some really good fights with the McLaren guys, which was good fun, and 70 laps on one set of tyres is probably some sort of record… It was a bit of a challenge but in the end we were still going okay; we were quick enough to keep our competitors behind. All in all, I’m pretty happy with today.”

Fred Vasseur, Team Principal

“Jolyon had a strong race where we made the most of an aggressive strategy and pitted him very early under the safety car. He drove 70 laps on the same set of tyres and was very consistent to finish in front of some of our nearest rivals. He put in a robust defence of his position, in particular against both Jenson and Fernando. It was a very strong race for him. Kevin had a puzzling race as he was well-placed at the start but he struggled for pace whatever the tyres. We’ll spend a lot of time checking the car and analysing the race to understand how we could have done better. For Brazil we certainly want both cars fighting for points."

Renault F1 is starting to perform better as the end of the season nears its climax, but it looks like Palmer is on his way out.

• Renault Sport Formula One Team’s Kevin Magnussen made a late charge to take P11 on track and thus finished just shy of the points in today’s United States Grand Prix. Kevin started from P18 on a planned one-stop strategy but as the race played out this was adapted to a two and finally a three-stop.
• Post-race Kevin was given a five-second penalty, meaning he was placed twelfth in the final classification.
• Jolyon Palmer finished in P13 using a two-stop strategy.

Kevin started the race from P18 with new set of Pirelli’s soft compound tyres. He stopped on lap 13 for another new set of soft tyres, switched to new medium compound tyres on lap 27 and then new super soft tyres on lap 43.

Jolyon started the race in P15 on new soft tyres. He stopped on lap 15 for a new set of soft compound tyres and on lap 26 for a final set of new medium tyres.

Kevin Magnussen, #20, R.S.16-04: Started P18, finished P11, P12 after penalty:

“We started with the plan for a one-stop strategy but we quickly realised that it wasn’t the best option so we swapped to a two and finally a three-stop strategy. It was tougher on tyre wear than we predicted but that did mean I was able to have some fun at the end of the race on the super soft tyres – it was the most fun I’ve had in the car all season being able to push hard to the chequered flag. It was a pretty decent race considering our qualifying position. The penalty is frustrating, but that’s racing sometimes.”

Jolyon Palmer, #30, R.S.16-05: Started P15, finished P13:

“I had a slow start and unfortunately lost a few places that allowed Kevin to pass me, which then meant I was on his gearbox for a good two-thirds of the race. We were really struggling to follow other cars and although I was quicker, I couldn’t get close enough to pass which was so frustrating. I could have tried to lunge but that’s not a clever thing to do between team-mates. In the end, I overheated my tyres trying to overtake and fell back a little bit.”

Fred Vasseur, Team Principal:

“I’m in two minds about today’s Grand Prix. I’m happy we were able to adapt our strategy well as the race evolved, however at times our race pace was not as consistent as we’d like. In our first stint we didn’t seem to make progress yet at times we did see both cars deliver very good lap times considering their respective tyre conditions. We will be very vigilant in our post-race analysis to understand where we can better maximise our opportunities in the future. We finished just shy of the points today, but in the points is where we want to be.”

Renault Sport Formula One announces that Nico Hulkenberg will join the team from 2017 in a multi year deal.

Renault Sport Formula One Team is proud to announce that Nico Hülkenberg will join the team for 2017 as part of a multi-year deal.

Twenty-nine year-old Nico has raced in 111 Formula 1 Grands Prix since making his debut in 2010. 

Nico’s motorsport CV includes a Formula 1 pole position in his debut season, winning the GP2 Series at his first attempt as well as victory in his first Le Mans 24 Hours. Currently driving for Force India, Nico has previously raced for Williams and Sauber in Formula 1.

Jérôme Stoll, Renault Sport Racing Chairman:

“2017 will be the second season of Groupe Renault’s return as a manufacturer entry in Formula 1 and the next step in our journey. This season has been about putting the foundations in place for future success. For our next step we required an experienced driver who is still hungry for podiums. Nico Hülkenberg fulfils this role perfectly and is an excellent complement to what we want to achieve. He is a highly talented, dedicated and motivated driver. Nico will enable us to harness all the hard work completed this season and translate it to improved results on track in 2017 and beyond. We look forward to seeing him in our new car for 2017.”

Nico Hülkenberg:

“I’m very happy to join Renault Sport Formula One Team in 2017. Renault has always been a big player in the motorsport world that brings up incredible memories: in his stint at Renault, Michael Schumacher not only made Germany an F1 nation, he also sparked my enthusiasm and fire for racing. As a part of the Renault family, I want to develop the car and write new success stories.

“It has always been my dream to work for a manufacturer team. F1’s new regulations will change the game and give our team a good opportunity. In the years to come, Renault will play a challenger role, which fits my approach to racing 100%. I can’t wait to become part of the family.

“For the remaining races this year, I will give my best for Force India to reach fourth place in the constructors’ championship. This would be a great achievement for the whole Force India team, the biggest success in its history and a great end to a fantastic time there.

“I am grateful that Force India has given me the chance to take up this new opportunity.”

Japanese F1 Renault finish with both drivers, with each gaining places on their starting grid line ups.

• Renault Sport Formula One Team team-mates Jolyon Palmer and Kevin Magnussen drove a measured Emirates Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka today.
• The team opted for a one-stop tyre strategy for the 53-lap race, with both Jolyon and Kevin fighting in the middle of the pack throughout and taking the chequered flag in P12 and P14 respectively.
• Jolyon gained four and Kevin three places from their starting positions.

Kevin started the race from P17 with new set of Pirelli’s hard compound tyres. He stopped on lap 25 for a new set of medium tyres.

Jolyon started the race in P16 on new medium tyres. He stopped on lap 25 for a new set of hard tyres.

Kevin Magnussen, #20, R.S.16-04: Started P17, finished P14

“I started the race on hard tyres against others around me on the softs and mediums – it was always going to be tough today. We can’t be completely satisfied with today’s race after scoring points in the last two races but we will work hard to get back into point-scoring position in the coming races. The next round is in the USA and it’s a pretty cool track to drive so I look forward to being there next.”

Jolyon Palmer, #30, R.S.16-05: Started P16, finished P12

“Tenth last week, twelfth this week, but this week everyone finished the race! We had a lot of luck last week and I think today was actually a stronger performance. We beat everyone that we could this afternoon. I’m pleased with how we went, the strategy, the pace, performance… Everything was good.”

Fred Vasseur, Team Principal

“It was a good weekend for us in terms of performance, with our best Free Practice 3 to date where we were in the top ten. Qualifying, however, was a bit disappointing. Of course Jolyon got into Q2, but I think that we could have done better overall on Saturday afternoon. Our race pace was similar again to what we had seen in FP3; we fought with Williams in terms of pace until the end of the race and we were in front of McLaren and Toro Rosso. Today’s race confirmed that we have gone a step forward in pure performance, despite a tricky qualifying session on Saturday. Overall the weekend has been encouraging and both drivers did a solid job in the race with a strategy that worked well for the team.”

Palmer finishes the latest F1 round with 1 point, his first, as Magnussen fails to finish the Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix

• Renault Sport Formula One Team’s Jolyon Palmer scored his first FIA Formula One World Championship point in today’s hot and fast-paced Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix. Jolyon put his disappointment from yesterday’s qualifying behind him to deliver in emphatic fashion his tenth-placed finish from P19 on the grid, thanks to a one-stop tyre strategy.
• Kevin Magnussen was unable to translate Saturday’s qualifying form into a race result as contact back and front on the first lap damaged a brake cooling drum fence. Kevin’s brakes subsequently became unsustainably hot, which meant retirement from the race was the only option.

Kevin started the race from P14 with new set of Pirelli’s medium compound tyres. He stopped at the end of the first lap to replace a damaged front wing and change to a new set of Pirelli’s hard compound tyres. He retired on lap 17 due to overheating brakes.

Jolyon started the race in P19 on new hard tyres. He stopped on lap 31 for a new set of soft tyres.

Kevin Magnussen, #20, R.S.16-04: Started P14, DNF

“I was the filling in the sandwich as everyone reacted to the Vettel / Rosberg incident at the start. Everyone braked and went for the inside of the corner which isn’t great if you’re already at the inside of the corner and have contact from behind pushing you forward. 

That’s motor racing sometimes. We changed the front wing and kept pushing, however the brake cooling was damaged, and the brake temperature kept climbing, so we had to retire. 

Nevertheless it’s been a promising weekend. We continue to extract more pace from the car and we’ll be pushing to keep this level of performance. I scored last time out; Jo scored today. Points are what we all want to see.”

Jolyon Palmer, #30, R.S.16-05: Started P19, finished P10

“Point-scorer: It feels good! I’m really happy, I think the whole week has been really positive. The race was really smooth – I wish it was always so straightforward! 

I was really disappointed with how qualifying went especially as I’d been feeling strong all weekend, so I’m glad the race went really well and we could make up for it today. The car gave me everything I needed, we handled the tyres well and the team did a great job with strategy and pit stops. 

We got a little bit of a break as well; finally everything came together and we got it home to P10!”

Fred Vasseur, Team Principal

“Congratulations to Jo for scoring his first point in Formula One. After a disappointing qualifying yesterday he got his head down and delivered a very good race. 

We ran to an aggressive strategy and Jo did everything required to make this work so a great effort from him and the team today. Kevin was unfortunate to be caught out as the result of an incident ahead on the first lap. 

Thanks to his strong qualifying, he was well placed for a decent points-scoring position, but there was nothing he could do. Today we saw once more that everyone in the team is pushing in the same direction and we will continue to fight for every point possible for the remaining five races this season.”