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Renault team boss Flavio Briatore has announced that his role within the Renault organisation will likely change before the start of the 2009 Formula One championship. Briatore has been at the helm of Renault for some time and has steered them to great success, but is yet to commit himself to a new deal until the future of the team (and possibly Fernando Alonso) are decided. Continue Reading

The fifty-fourth photograph to feature in BlogF1’s caption contest. You know the drill, think of something funny and witty to say and leave it as a comment below. I’ve always found this photo funny simply because Flavio Briatore looks as cool as he can be, relaxed while leaning up against the building. Bernie Ecclestone though, while mimicking Briatore, just can’t pull it off as well. Continue Reading

Nelson Piquet Jr. has endured a disastrous start to his Formula One career, especially when his results are compared to his team mate. Heikki Kovalainen last year had a tough time in the Renault, but the Finn eventually got to grips with the car in ended up hauling in more points than his then-team mate Giancarlo Fisichella. While I don’t think Piquet will be able to reign in Fernando Alonso this year, was the French Grand Prix the race that saw Piquet turn his fortunes around? Continue Reading

Often, Formula One can seem very complex and very heavy, weighing down on one’s mind with stories of industrial espionage and, well, role-playing. But sometimes the sport can throw up some unusual news items that can bring a smile to your face. Last year Nick Heidfeld became a proud father again, and earlier this year Pedro De La Rosa took time off to spend with his recently augmented family. And now today we have two funny little gems. Firstly, 58-year-old Flavio Briatore has set a date for his wedding to WonderBra model Elisabetta Gregoraci. The location is being kept a secret for now, but Briatore will recite his vows on June 14th, between the Canadian and French grands prix. Continue Reading

What do Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and Fernando Alonso all have in common? You’d be right to say they’re all Formula One world champions, but for the sake of this post, they all have a connection with French car company Renault. Ayrton Senna debuted in the team that would eventually be transformed into Benetton and then in-turn Renault (and was tragically killed in a car powered by Renault), Alain Prost drove for Renault in the early ’80s, Schumacher, Hill and Villeneuve each won a championship with Viry-Chatillon power and of course, Alonso has won two titles to date with the recent incarnation of the French manufacturer. Continue Reading

With just under two weeks to go before the Bahrain Grand Prix, I felt it was time to do another summary of the news. There’s a lot to take in, even since Sunday when Kimi Raikkonen won in Sepang; this season is already shaping up to be busier than most. I wrote a long “News Round-up” article, but then realised there was too much to put in one posting. So instead I have broken them up. Therefore, this and the following three posts may seem to jump straight into the action without much faffing at the start. I’ll be interested to see if you guys prefer this method or not, but needless to say there is a lot to discuss. And it’s not even April yet… Continue Reading

From heroes to zeroes, the story of Renault’s 2007 campaign is one of disappointment and anguish. Following two sensational seasons in Formula One, the frugally budgeted Anglo-French squad fell on their backsides with the R27, not helped by the defection of their wonder-driver Fernando Alonso to rivals McLaren. Despite losing out to BMW and slipping out of the top three (McLaren inclusive), Renault do have a lot of talent working away in their Enstone factory, and with a little more effort and maybe some luck the flamboyant Flavio could raise the manufacturer squad back up to the top within a year. Whether or not Renault choose to wait that long though is another question entirely. Continue Reading

Today was Renault-day with regards to new car launches, and the Anglo-French squad chose Paris to unveil their 2008 machine to the media. As mentioned earlier, the team hope to find their winning ways again, although rookie Nelson Piquet Jr is cautious to not hype his own chances too much. While Fernando spoke of being pleased to be back at Enstone, Piquet Jr is just thankful for the opportunity to prove himself and hopes for a consistent season in 2008. Here are some more quotes and photographs from Renault’s R28 launch. Continue Reading

Renault today unveiled their 2008 challenger in Paris, marking the return of Fernando Alonso to the team and partnering Nelson Piquet Jr in a bid to reclaim the Formula One world championship. Called the R28, the Anglo-French team hope the troubles they experienced in 2007 will be rectified and they can return to their dominant form last seen in 2006. The team continue with the title sponsor ING and thus the livery hasn’t changed much. However, along with the other new cars the aero features on the new chassis have been tweaked and developed to provide the drivers with a more stable and better performing machine. Continue Reading

Double world champion Fernando Alonso has officially confirmed that he will once again drive for Renault, having stated he will return to Enstone for the 2008 season. The news comes as no surprise as Renault personnel had admitted they were holding talks with the Spaniard, but the decision to return couldn’t have been an easy one and many factors had to be considered. Continue Reading