2016 Renault Sport F1 Team - Renault

[f1316]

http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/ ... -f1-podium

Kinda funny to be targeting the podium in 3 years - they were on the podium last year.

Still, I get the point: much less powerful/efficient engine will mean a backwards step and they want regular podiums in 3 years, not just a one off.

Still funny though.

[ME4ME]

It seems that Renault are definitely positioning themselves to be on top when the Mercedes powerhouse starts to wane, just as Mercedes were ready when Red Bull started to lose their dominance. Give it 3-5 years and Renault will be taking home championships, in readying for that there will be a lot of infrastructure and personal investment at Enstone.

I disagree, Red Bull didn't lose any of their chassi magic, it was a change in regulations and ultimately Renault that let them down. For the same reason, Mercedes isn't going to fade with the current regulations in place. They only need to match development of their rivals to stay on top. Renault aren't magically doing to develop at twice the rate. Besides, 2016 is already a write off, it's a development year. They'll probably be at least 1,5 sec off the pace come Melbourne qualifying. The only way for Renault to surpass Mercedes is a combination of a few years to put infrastructure in place + a major change in regulations.

[Manoah2u]

http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/ ... -f1-podium

Kinda funny to be targeting the podium in 3 years - they were on the podium last year.

Still, I get the point: much less powerful/efficient engine will mean a backwards step and they want regular podiums in 3 years, not just a one off.

Still funny though.

with 'targeting the podium' they probably mean 'consistantly'. You can aim to be able to hit the podium perhaps 3 times a year,
but what they want is to make it to the podium all-year-round with perhaps 3 times not a podium. Enstone hadn't made that in years. And the point is, it's not Lotus anymore, it is Renault. Renault distances itself from the operations enstone ran after leaving F1 as a works team and re-entering now.

they gave themselves 3 years because with 2017 changing, there's a lot of work out to be done. They might spend a big amount of money and make some regular podium spots this year if they perhaps really really really wanted to; blow all money on the aero, engine, everything to go 'brawn-style' into 2016 and be on the podium, but lose all in 2017.
They don't want that, they rather have this as a 'transition' year and from 2017 build up to make the podium on 2018.

[AnthonyG]

It seems that Renault are definitely positioning themselves to be on top when the Mercedes powerhouse starts to wane, just as Mercedes were ready when Red Bull started to lose their dominance. Give it 3-5 years and Renault will be taking home championships, in readying for that there will be a lot of infrastructure and personal investment at Enstone.

That a statement that has been made for a lot of teams over the past years, yet most teams don't make it up to two years in a row without falling behind. Technical or financial
Look at Williams and their "revival" or back when Sauber made great cars. Or how many times have Ferrari improved on their previous car to finish second and fall behind the next year...
Force India was at the verge of greatness untill moneyproblems hit them. Same for Lotus.

You can't look into the future, 3 years is long, really long in F1.

[SparkyAMG]

I think the difference with Renault is that they're hiring all the right people and having now committed to F1, will do everything they can in order to make it back to the top.

From a Power Unit perspective, it's no surprise their unit didn't improve much during 2015 as it wouldn't have made sense for them to throw resource at a 'sport' they were contemplating leaving. That's changed now; they're here to stay, the token system has been removed for 2017 onwards and they will begin to catch the Mercedes and Ferrari units pretty rapidly.

On the chassis side, the only poor car Enstone has produced in a few years was their 2014 runner where their interpretation of the 2014 rule change was wide of the mark. Otherwise their cars have always performed really well and have just been limited by a lack of funds. Renault will be able to provide the financial clout required to not only develop solid chassis but also keep them developed throughout a season.

Having gotten Bob Bell back on board as well is a massive coupe for them... he was there to witness everything Mercedes did to get to where they are and he'll offer insight and organisational skills that neither Mclaren, and to a lesser extent, Ferrari have. He was there when Renault won their championships in 05 and 06 and was at Mercedes when they got their first. That experience is vital.

I expect Renault to be within touching distance of podiums by the end of 2017 and expect them to have a competitive Power Unit and chassis in 2018. I'll be firmly rooting for them too.

[Scuderia1967]

What's the chance you guys will show this much enthusiasm over paint colours, the next time your wives/girlfriends ask you to paint the living room ?
Men in general (95%) have no clue what colours go with what, that is why you see signs like this at the paint store
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h217/ ... miecjp.jpg

What's more important, how good the car goes or how good the car looks ?
by they way no one colour is faster then the next

You're absolutely right. But then again, if it's not important how good the car looks... why paint it at all?

[Tim.Wright]

Given that any OEM's entry in F1 is due to, and funded by, their respective marketing departments, not painting the car would defeat the whole point of them being in F1 in the first place.

[Blackout]

Chris Dyer joins Renault.
Renault is takin F1 seriously again.

[Scuderia1967]

Given that any OEM's entry in F1 is due to, and funded by, their respective marketing departments, not painting the car would defeat the whole point of them being in F1 in the first place.

I was joking...

[Neno]

Chris Dyer joins Renault.
Renault is takin F1 seriously again.

First re-hiring Bob Bell who was Renault F1's Technical Director during the hugely successful 2005 and 2006 seasons, and now former Ferrari chief engineer Chris Dyer during Ferrari's championship-winning year, agree Renault really took his return seriously. And it's only a beginning.

[bdr529]

What's the chance you guys will show this much enthusiasm over paint colours, the next time your wives/girlfriends ask you to paint the living room ?
Men in general (95%) have no clue what colours go with what, that is why you see signs like this at the paint store
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h217/ ... miecjp.jpg

What's more important, how good the car goes or how good the car looks ?
by they way no one colour is faster then the next

You're absolutely right. But then again, if it's not important how good the car looks... why paint it at all?

I didn't say "not important", I asked what should be "more important"

[Manoah2u]

What's the chance you guys will show this much enthusiasm over paint colours, the next time your wives/girlfriends ask you to paint the living room ?
Men in general (95%) have no clue what colours go with what, that is why you see signs like this at the paint store

we wont, because in this case, we can discuss colours of sometihng that will never be our responsibility.

and cough cough, most women are of the opinion that man have bad taste in color, which is actually more a figure of men simply not agreeing to the color preferences of women.

[Thunder]

Hmm i don't know if Chris Dyer is such a big signing. He's been out of F1 for 6 Years and in Turn Renault lost Ayao Komatsu to Haas.

[ME4ME]

Ted Kreviz seems to be still on holiday .. anyway, I'd like some of what he's having

"What went from you might say one of the weakest driver line-ups with Maldonado and Palmer, who is of course a rookie, to now one of the strongest i'd say with the very talented and quick Kevin Magnussen alongside Palmer and Ocon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKCceBnltys

I like the guy as a presenter, but he needs to get real

[dren]

I know, right? Magnussen is solid, but nothing overly special. Palmer is a rookie and not one of the top soon-to-be drivers in the sport in my eyes. It'll be another season of lower midlevel finishes. I expect a high points finishing car in 2017 but I don't expect any championship shots in the near future. Mercedes and Ferrari aren't going anywhere and Mclaren should be nipping at them by 2017. Red Bull should be in the mix, too. So perhaps they will grab the odd podium if their driver line-up improves in the future. I don't see either of their two drivers wringing anything more out of their package.

The question is: Who's driver line-up is Renault stronger than? I'd say only Manor; about on par with Sauber.