Original article by BlogF1.

Caption Contest: #103

In a press release issued following the hearing at the FIA headquarters in Paris, the governing body stated the following with regards to the former RenaultF1 boss…

As regards Mr. Briatore, the World Motor Sport Council declares that, for an unlimited period, the FIA does not intend to sanction any International Event, Championship, Cup, Trophy, Challenge or Series involving Mr. Briatore in any capacity whatsoever, or grant any license to any Team or other entity engaging Mr. Briatore in any capacity whatsoever. It also hereby instructs all officials present at FIA-sanctioned events not to permit Mr. Briatore access to any areas under the FIA’s jurisdiction. Furthermore, it does not intend to renew any Superlicence granted to any driver who is associated (through a management contract or otherwise) with Mr. Briatore, or any entity or individual associated with Mr. Briatore. In determining that such instructions should be applicable for an unlimited period, the World Motor Sport Council has had regard not only to the severity of the breach in which Mr. Briatore was complicit but also to his actions in continuing to deny his participation in the breach despite all the evidence. FIA Press Release.

The key line there is that the FIA do not intend to allow anyone associated with Flavio Briatore to have their super license renewed. As far as I can tell, Mark Webber and Heikki Kovalainen are still managed by the flamboyant Italian. If Webber and Kovalainen are still on Briatore’s books, they better find alternative management pretty soon if they wish to continue racing in FIA-governed events.

A similar punishment has been dealt to Pat Symonds, the former head of engineering at Renault who resigned along with Briatore last week. The only difference between the sentences are that Symond’s is for a period of five years, while Briatore’s remains unlimited.

Original article by BlogF1.

No More Super Licenses For Briatore-Managed Drivers

The latest controversy to engulf the sport has perhaps been one of the worse when you consider that Briatore and Symonds essentially fixed the race by convincing Piquet Jr to crash his car at a point that would virtually guarantee a safety car period. With this knowledge, the team were able to run a very aggressive strategy with Fernando Alonso and thus, the Spaniard took the race victory.

For his part, the FIA are happy that Alonso played no involvement in the agreement between the three men implicated and was unaware of what Piquet was going to do. Although it has been noted that an intelligent and experienced driver would normally have questioned the reasoning behind such an aggressive strategy, Alonso it seems is in the clear.

And all things considered, Renault are fortunate to have come out of this debacle relatively unscathed. To deliberately plan to cause an accident which could have harmful consequences to those in and around the car at the time is quite simply wrong, and to do this in order to gain advantage is unsporting at its most.

The World Motor Sport Council finds that Renault F1 team members Flavio Briatore, Pat Symonds and Nelson Piquet Jr. conspired to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. The World Motor Sport Council therefore finds Renault F1, which, under article 123 of the International Sporting Code, is responsible for the actions of its employees, in breach of Articles 151(c) and point 2(c) of Chapter IV of Appendix L of the Code, and Articles 3.2, 30.3 and/or 39.1 of the Formula One Sporting Regulations.

The World Motor Sport Council considers Renault F1’s breaches relating to the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to be of unparalleled severity. Renault F1’s breaches not only compromised the integrity of the sport but also endangered the lives of spectators, officials, other competitors and Nelson Piquet Jr. himself. The World Motor Sport Council considers that offences of this severity merit permanent disqualification from the FIA Formula One World Championship. However, having regard to the points in mitigation mentioned above and in particular the steps taken by Renault F1 to identify and address the failings within its team and condemn the actions of the individuals involved, the WMSC has decided to suspend Renault F1’s disqualification until the end of the 2011 season. The World Motor Sport Council will only activate this disqualification if Renault F1 is found guilty of a comparable breach during that time. FIA Press Release.

A suspended sentence essentially means that if Renault break any comparable rule in the next 24 months, the FIA will come down on them like a ton of bricks – they would be disqualified from taking part in Formula One. For now though, while the team remain within the rules, they are permitted to continue fighting in the Formula One World Championship in 2009, 2010 and 2011. After this point and assuming Renault do not do anything of similar nature, the suspension will presumably be lifted.

Further to the suspended disqualification, Renault have also agreed to pay the costs involved with the investigations and to also make a significant contribution to the FIA’s safety work and campaigns.

This will undoubtedly come as a relief to all who work at Renault who played no part and had no knowledge of what Briatore, Symonds and Piquet Jr did, and I’m sure Alonso (who attended the hearing this morning) is happy knowing he can continue driving for the remainder of the season alongside Piquet’s previously-implemented replacement, Romain Grosjean.

Piquet, who brought the matter to the attention of the FIA in the first place, received immunity from any consequences resulting from the hearing today, something the Brazilian is awarded for being honest and informing the governing body. Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds have both left the Renault team and they may face further investigation. However, for now the team must continue without two of its (previous to recent times) most respected managers.

Of course, the sport has once again found itself splashed across the newspapers for all the wrong reasons, and once again I utter the words of comfort in the hope for a clean and exciting end to the 2009 season.

Original article by BlogF1.

Renault Receive A Two Year Suspended Disqualification

What Renault may have done at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix is serious and most certainly not trivial. To plan and ask for a driver to crash in order to benefit the team mate’s chances of victory is simply wrong and should be dealt with a heavy hand. If Pat Symonds and Flavio Briatore did indeed ask Nelson Piquet Jr to slam his R28 into the barrier just after Fernando Alonso’s pitstop last year, then the trio should simply not be allowed to return to motor sport. If what Piquet says is true, the decision is unsporting of the highest order.

Of course, we do not yet know this is the case, as the hearing into Formula One’s latest controversy will not be held until tomorrow. However, the sudden departure of Symonds and Briatore from the Renault team looks from the outside to be an admission of guilt. If the Renault management are innocent, there would be no reason to leave. It is interesting to note though, the FIA have not yet singled out Symonds and Briatore and instead have called the hearing with Renault, implying that the pair’s leaving will not yet change anything.

To also add further to that, it is of course plain and clear that Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds asked Nelson Piquet crash. Bernie Ecclestone has spoken of the sadness of the affair and how Briatore’s career has ended poorly, and the Italian himself has briefly spoken of having to make the moral decision and save the team by standing down. While no official judgment will be made until tomorrow at the earliest, it would appear that Piquet has told the truth.

So why should Briatore, Symonds and Piquet be banned from motor sport should the hearing favour Nelson’s statement? Or perhaps more to the point, can they be banned? In 2008, Nigel Stepney went before the FIA to defend himself against allegations of sabotage and espionage. As it turns out, the FIA said they could not prevent Stepney from seeking employment in Formula One because he is not a licensee of the governing body. Instead, the FIA sent out a strong warning to its licensees telling them to be very careful and to use due diligence should they be looking to hire the ex-Ferrari employee.

Therefore, if Stepney was not a licensee of the FIA, one can only presume Flavio Briatore, Pat Symonds and Nelson Piquet Jr are not either. Perhaps even more so now that all three are not working within the sport. It would also be a great shame if Renault are punished severely too (assuming the decision was only between the three currently implicated), particularly if that led to the withdrawal of the team. Of all the recent squads in the sport, Honda and BMW included, Renault seemed to have the most flakey outlook with regards to continued participation. And while team bosses do not wish to discuss the team’s future involvement in Formula One at the moment, questions are being asked. If a race ban gets handed down to Renault, even if it’s just until the end of the year, I can see the squad packing up and selling on. Hopefully, the evidence will only concern the management and their resignations will be taken into account.

And why, you may be asking, am I throwing Piquet in with Briatore and Symonds, especially as the Brazilian has been given immunity by the FIA for making a statement? Well, because in my view Piquet is just as guilty as the instigators. If a boxer is approached by someone with a suitcase full of cash and told to go down in the third round, and consequently does go down, both people are guilty of match fixing. And more often than not, it is the boxer who everybody remembers and receives the most damage to the reputation.

Although there was probably no suitcase of cash, Piquet states clearly that he felt complying to the demands of Briatore and Symonds would ensure him a better position to get his contract renewed for 2009. Just because the cash is electronically transferred from one account to the other in the form of a salary does not make it any less shady when it results from doing something wrong and damaging to the sport.

And so I think that is just about all I want to write on the recent Renault scandal. BlogF1 has been quiet these past few days simply because I am sick to the core of the controversies that seem to embroil the sport every six months or so. Many of us felt that when Nigel Stepney and Mike Coughlin were caught sharing information, the sport would be rocked. Quite simply, it was. Although Formula One recovered, the time spent dealing with the issue filled me with a sadness I had hoped would not return.

Of course, this wasn’t the first big moment to affect the sport, but it is the one I remember the most in my time of watching Formula One and the one I consider the first for me. Since then, it seems the sport has been put through the blender several times, with notable thanks to Max Mosley, Lewis Hamilton and Dave Ryan, the stupid budget cap idea and resulting breakaway threats (that one is Max again) and many, many more. The controversies seem to be never-ending in a sport that is actually about going around a race track as quickly as possible.

Controversial moments are inevitable, as I have already mentioned, and you cannot really prevent them from happening. A driver will cut across a chicane and not receive punishment, or will receive a punishment that is perhaps unjust. A team will design a radical new part that fits the rules as they are written and the other teams will throw their toys out of the pram. These aren’t a big deal in the long term. Unsporting behaviour from some the sport’s most respected managers and engineers is, and although Ecclestone may revel in the headlines his commercial asset is generating, we really only want to watch the racing.

People say its been a torrid year but it always is in F1. There’s always something going on. It’s never peaceful. Bernie Ecclestone.

Original article by BlogF1.

There’s Always Something Going On, It’s Never Peaceful

At the time there was a wild conspiracy theory that went along similar lines, the fact that Piquet had his accident just after Alonso had taken on fresh tyres and fuel seeming to be quite a coincidence. At the time, Piquet stated that he had just been pushing too hard and that he clipped the barriers a little too hard. However, the allegation that it was a deliberate act comes after the young Brazilian was unceremoniously fired from the team in August.

Piquet Jr. has not kept quiet since he was let go, and has himself made accusations towards the team and most notably, Flavio Briatore. In a long statement on his website at the time, Piquet claimed he received little encouragement from the team boss and his own manager, and that he often found himself on the receiving end of threats moments before qualifying sessions and races.

However little had come of this, until now it seems as there is supposedly fresh evidence to back up the allegations made by the Brazilian TV station. It is unclear whether or not Piquet himself is involved in anyway, but the only evidence that a TV station could possibly think it has is possibly a recorded interview with the man himself. The TV station would not be privvy to telemetry or radio communications, so unless they have caught wind of such a thing but not seen/heard it themselves, or in fact Piquet or a team member has spoken to the station, it seems a very strange allegation to make.

The FIA have been relatively vague in a statement made to the press this evening, just saying that “an investigation is underway regarding alleged events at a previous world championship race”. However, Singapore hit the headlines on a few news sites moments earlier breaking the story about Globo, so one can only deduce (at the moment) the two are indeed related.

Needless to say, if any wrongdoing by the Enstone team is discovered, Renault would be in a whole heap of trouble and could possibly face a ban of several races. Of course, it could just be a storm in a teacup, which in all honesty, is exactly what it sounds like at the moment. Unfortunately, I’ve said that before only to find the world of Formula One wrapped up in controversy for months down the line. Like you, I await further details and the inevitable statement from Piquet Snr.

Original article by BlogF1.

FIA To Investigate Fernando Alonso’s 2008 Singapore Win

Piquet Jr released a statement earlier that describes his relief at being able to put a bad part of his career behind him and move on, but the Brazilian driver is still furious with the team, continuing his allegations that team mate Fernando Alonso received better and further developed equipment. Furthermore, Piquet has made further allegations, saying that his boss and manager, Flavio Briatore, threatened Piquet fifteen minutes prior to the start of qualifying sessions and races. Piquet’s statement, which for the record is one of the longest I have read from a driver parting from a team, is (and it is unfortunate to say this) whiney and somewhat childish.

This is the statement in full, with my own additions after each paragraph. A link to the original can be found at the very bottom.

I have received notice from the Renault F1 team of its intention to stop me from driving for them in the current F1 season. I want to say thanks to the small group who supported me and that I worked together at Renault F1, although it is obviously with great disappointment that I receive such news. But, at the same time, I feel a sense of relief for the end of the worst period of my career, and the possibility that I can now move on and put my career back on the right track and try to recover my reputation of a fast, winning driver. I am a team player and there are dozens of people I have worked with in my career who would vouch for my character and talent, except unfortunately the person that has had the most influence on my career in Formula 1.

And to be perfectly honest, Piquet’s statement should have ended there. Polite, respectful with a little twist towards the end. Unfortunately, Piquet goes on…

I started racing at the age of eight and have broken record after record. I won every championship I raced in go-karts. I was South American F3 champion, winning 14 races and getting 17 pole positions. In 2003 I went to England, with my own team, to compete in the British F3 championship. I was champion there as well, winning 12 races and getting 13 pole positions. In fact I was the youngest ever champion. I raced GP2 in 2005 and 2006, winning five races and scoring six pole positions. I had a great season in my second year, only missing out on the championship to Lewis Hamilton due to technical mistakes of our team, which I take as my own as well, including running out of fuel during a race. I set the record in GP2 for the first driver to have a perfect weekend, scoring the maximum points available, in Hungary 2006. No-one matched that until July 2009 when Nico Hulkenberg did in at Nurburgring.

If I wanted to read your biography, Nelson, I would have headed over to your official website, or checked out your Wikipedia entry. I mean honestly, in a statement that is confirming your exit from a team, do I really need to read about your career thus far?

The path to F1 was always going to be tricky, and my father and I therefore signed a management contract with Flavio Briatore, who we believed was an excellent option with all the necessary contacts and management skills. Unfortunately, that was when the black period of my career started. I spent one year as a test driver, where I only did a handful of tests, and the next year started as a race driver with Renault. After the opening part of the season, some strange situations began to happen. As a beginner in F1, I could only expect from my team a lot of support and preparation to help me in getting up to the task. Instead, I was relegated as “someone who drives the other car” with no attention at all. In addition, on numerous occasions, fifteen minutes before qualifying and races, my manager and team boss (Briatore) would threaten me, telling me if I didn’t get a good result, he had another driver ready to put in my place. I have never needed threats before to get results. In 2008 I scored 19 points, finished once on the podium in second place, having the best debut year of a Brazilian driver in F1.

And now Nelson is becoming a little whiney. It is all fine and dandy to be upset, but in a sport that demands professional behaviour at all times, Piquet has done himself a disservice here. Would any team boss employ Piquet Jr now, knowing that should the relationship not work out, Piquet will blast the team with accusations and tales of threats and lack of support. I know I wouldn’t.

For the 2009 season Briatore, again acting both as my manager and team boss of Renault F1, promised me everything would be different, that I would get the attention I deserved but had never received, and that I would get “at least equal treatment” inside the team. He made me sign a performance-based contract, requiring me to score 40% of Fernando Alonso’s points by mid-way through the season. Despite driving with Fernando, two-time world champion and a really excellent driver, I was confident that, if I had the same conditions, I would easily attain the 40% of points required by the contract.

A contract Nelson signed. He presumably didn’t have to, but at the end of the day, the 40%-of-Alonso’s-score contract was signed. At the midway point of the season (which was actually the German Grand Prix), Piquet Jr hadn’t achieved the necessary points to be within 40% of his team mate. Therefore, the team acted accordingly. That, my Brazilian friend, is called life.

Unfortunately, the promises didn’t turn into reality again. With the new car I completed 2002km of testing compared to Fernando’s 3839km. Only three days of my testing was in dry weather – only one of Fernando’s was wet. I was only testing with a heavy car, hard tyres, mostly on the first day (when the track is slow and reliability is poor), or when the weather was bad. Fernando was driving a light car with soft tyres in the dry, fine conditions. I never had a chance to be prepared for the qualifying system we use. In Formula 1 today, the difference between 1st and 15th position is sometimes less than a second. It means that 0.2 or 0.3s can make you gain eight positions.

I love the complete lack of actual comparison between “three days of my testing was in dry weather – only one of Fernando’s was wet”. And how many dry weather days did Alonso get? One? Twenty million?

Oh and also, the line about not being prepared for the qualifying system. Erm, what was Piquet doing last year then, when the system was the same as this year’s?

In addition to that, car development is now happening on a race-to-race basis due to the in season testing ban. Of the first nine races that I ran this year, in four of them Fernando had a significant car upgrade that I did not have. I was informed by the engineers at Renault that in those races I had a car that was between 0.5 and 0.8s a lap slower than my teammate. If I look at Germany (where I out-qualified my teammate despite that), if I had that advantage in qualifying I would be fifth and not tenth. If we had that difference in the race, I would have finished ahead of my teammate, which I did in Silverstone, despite him having upgrades that I did not have.

And now Piquet is nit-picking. The upgraded car scenario isn’t nit-picking, but to go through individual results and try to add in a ‘what-if’ is, and this is where, in my opinion, Nelson comes off poorly.

I believe without doubt in my talent and my performance. I didn’t get this far by getting bad results. Anyone who knows my history knows that the results I am having in F1 do not match my CV and my ability. The conditions I have had to deal with during the last two years have been very strange to say the least – there are incidents that I can hardly believe occurred myself. If I now need to give explanations, I am certain it is because of the unfair situation I have been in the past two years. I always believed that having a manager was being a part of a team and having a partner. A manager is supposed to encourage you, support you, and provide you with opportunities. In my case it was the opposite. Flavio Briatore was my executioner.

I do like the last sentence used here though – a strong yet simply crafted piece of language. And I now presume Briatore isn’t Piquet’s manager anymore. I don’t think it has been explicitly said so, but calling your boss and manager an executioner would indicate the relationship is without doubt well and truly over. Unfortunately though, Nelson is still continuing with his statement…

Being under pressure is not new to me. I have had criticism throughout my career, and have also had a lot of expectations put on me due to my name. Up until now I always met those expectations – surpassed them even. I have never before felt the need to defend myself or fight back from rumours and criticism because I knew the truth and I just wanted to concentrate on racing – I didn’t ever let it affect me. Fortunately, I can now say to those people who supported me through my career that I’m back on the good tracks and considering the options for a new start in my F1 career in a fair and positive way. Nelson Piquet Jr.

Phew.

That was without doubt one of the longest statements I have read from a driver departing from a team. I think Sebastien Bourdais just wrote a paragraph or two, slagging off the team, threatening legal action and leaving it at that. The popular French driver certainly didn’t recount past races, his career statistics and suggest strange happenings within the team.

What it does show though is that Nelson Piquet is angry at the team and feels he has not been given a fair chance. My own opinion on the Piquet matter is that Flavio Briatore should have cut his losses after the Brazilian Grand Prix last year. Piquet had one decent result in the whole of 2008, and although he put in a handful of decent performances, he was largely nowhere near his team mate. Although Alonso is a very strong and fast racing driver, he still needs to be pushed, and I feel Briatore has made a great error in judgment by allowing himself to employ a driver who was not capable of getting even remotely close to Alonso.

So suggestions now move to the potential replacements for Piquet. I think Romain Grosjean must be at the top of the rookie list, but again, Briatore doesn’t necessarily have to employ a rookie as there are plenty of experienced drivers out there who could fill the spot for the remainder of the season. Having said that though, the R29 is not a great car, and therefore it might be wise to put a rookie in the seat so they can get some experience in without necessarily feeling the pressure of having to turn out good results. This will help the driver and the team come 2010.

Original article by BlogF1.

Nelson Piquet Jr Confirms Immediate Renault Exit

The suspension seems like a harsh penalty for the FIA to dish out, as in the past wheels have come off other cars and the teams and drivers have not been suspended. However, given the recent incidents involving car parts coming off and striking other drivers, it is understandable why the FIA would want to be seen to be taking this matter seriously. Seven days ago, Henry Surtees was tragically killed by a tyre-and-wheel hitting him after it detached itself from a fellow competitor’s car. And yesterday, Felipe Massa was rushed to hospital after a spring from Barrichello’s car struck him in the face. Massa is still in an induced coma in Budapest.

Renault team boss Flavio Briatore was seen trying to leave the circuit after Fernando Alonso retired his R29, despite the fact second driver Nelson Piquet Jr. was still in the race. This sends out a very strong message to myself, one that indicates the Italian has already made up his mind about his driver pairing. It is not known if Briatore actually made it out of the circuit; the FIA and FOM do not like team personnel leaving until all their media obligations have been taken care of. In fact, it is a rule for 2009 that the drivers cannot leave early.

The penalty may also seem quite harsh because it affects the second driver of the team. Currently, that man is Nelson Piquet Jr, and if he were to remain with the team, he too would be penalised by not being able to race. Given that the incident had nothing to do with the Brazilian, it seems a little unfair. Although it is rumoured that Piquet will not be racing for Renault again anyway, penalty or no penalty and as mentioned in the above paragraph.

So the 2009 European Grand Prix will feature just 18 drivers from 9 teams, and Renault will have to stay home and watch the race on the television.

• The live race notes can be viewed here: Hungary 2009: Live Race Notes
• The race result can be viewed here: Hungary 2009: Race Result
• The race report can be viewed here: Hungary 2009: Lewis Hamilton Returns McLaren To Top With Victory
• The pitstop and tyre strategies can be viewed here: Hungary 2009: Pitstop & Tyre Strategies
• The fantasy racers round-up can be viewed here: Hungary 2009: Fantasy Racers Update
• The penalty updates post can be viewed here: Hungary 2009: Penalty Updates

Original article by BlogF1.

Hungary 2009: Renault Have Been Suspended From The European Grand Prix

Although Nakajima was perfectly fine and jumped out of his FW31, the position of the car was awkward and debris was strewn across across the tarmac. The safety car was deployed and remained out for six laps while the race order was sorted behind. Interestingly, while the cars were feeding past, Felipe Massa was seen gesturing to Bernd Maylander, suggesting that Massa wasn’t sure if he should be passing or not.

As the safety car came back in, the tyre temperatures were reduced as were brakes. Jenson Button made a good restart, but Nelson Piquet Jr., who was being challenged by Nico Rosberg, touched his brake pedal going into the first corner and spun off. Piquet complained of brake failure.

On lap 47, Felipe Massa was seen coasting around the back of the track, his Ferrari seemingly given up. The Brazilian retired from the race although it is currently unknown what exactly happened to the F60. Clearly though, reliability is an issue for the Scuderia. Kimi Raikkonen did have a spin just rior to Massa’s retirement and swiped the barrier, although the Finn managed to gather it all together and continue.

Original article by BlogF1.

Australia 2009: Second Drivers Struggle At Albert Park

Image © LAT.

Original article by BlogF1.

Caption Contest: #80

With the new regulations comes an adherence to no aerodynamic winglets adorning the bodies of the cars, the intention being to reduce grip and therefore improve racing. Whether or not this will work remains to be seen, but Renault believe the shark fin engine cover is within the rules. I think they’re right as the part doesn’t generate downforce, instead the augmented cover provides stability under braking and entering corners.

Also top of the talking list at Renault’s end of the pitlane was the striking new livery. Renault have incorporated more of their company colours into the mix and eradicated the dark blue that we saw on the R27 and R28. With title sponsor’s ING orange and a base colour of white, the new red of Total makes the livery stand out. The nose section of the car has also caused a bit of stir, perhaps because of it’s colour the front appears to be quite chunky.

Despite the looks though, Fernando Alonso will be hoping that the R29 can carry on where the R28 left off, the Spaniard having won two races last year in a car that really wasn’t near the overall pace of the McLaren and Ferrari. With two world championships in his pocket though, Alonso knows how to develop and nurture a car into a winning machine.

Photos © RenaultF1/LAT Photographic.

Original article by BlogF1.

Launches 2009: Renault Unveil R29 & New Livery

Fernando Alonso won two world titles with Renault back in 2005 and 2006, but a shock move to McLaren for 2007 left the Enstone-based squad in disarray. Performance slipped and the squad seemed to part company with the rails for a while. However, returning to Renault after the relationship with McLaren soured, Alonso has steadily improved the car with the help of his team mate and two aspiring testers, and true to his form, Fernando managed a couple of wins this year.

After a difficult start to the season, we have overcome our difficulties and constantly improved our performances. My back-to-back wins in Singapore and Japan, and my recent second place podium finish in Brazil, have proved how competitive we can be.

In the past we have won championships together, as well as going through tough moments, but we are now determined to show that we can repeat that success together in the coming seasons.

It’s a very close-knit team with a competitive and winning mentality, and also a relaxed and warm attitude, which suits me perfectly. Fernando Alonso.

Team boss Flavio Briatore was in praise of his young driver and it seems any hurt caused by the defection to McLaren is very much a part of history.

Fernando’s commitment for the next two seasons confirms the faith he has in the team and we are delighted to continue working with him. He has been a big asset throughout this difficult season and his leadership and talent, matched with the team’s hard work and determination, have paid off with our recent performances, which have placed the ING Renault F1 Team back among the top competitors of Formula One. Flavio Briatore.

Nelson Piquet has endured a less successful season with the squad, but a solid second in Germany as well as some strong runs towards the end of the year proved enough for Renault to retain his services. There was talk of test driver Lucas Di Grassi replacing the son of former world champion Nelson Piquet Sr., but wanting consistency as the squad hopefully moves into a more competitive era should prove a safe and sound decision.

Although I have had a tough year, I have learned a lot from my rookie season and I will aim to put that experience to good use next season. I want to thank the team for their support this year and for the trust they have shown in me for the future.

I’m already excited about 2009 and looking forward to working with the team over the winter so that we can start next season strongly. Nelson Piquet Jr.

With an improving car in the latter stages of 2008, the R29 should hit the ground at a faster pace than the R28 did nine months ago. However, there are a lot of rule changes being implemented before the Australian Grand Prix next March, and the car could very easily go the wrong way in terms of pace and reliability. However, as mentioned, consistency on the driver front will help the squad, as will the talent and determination Alonso brings with him.

Original article by BlogF1.

Renault Retain Fernando Alonso & Nelson Piquet

Coulthard’s Special Livery

To mark the curtain call on David Coulthard’s long and successful career at the top of motorsport, Red Bull Racing in conjunction with the Wings For Life charity have allowed the Scot to race in a special livery this weekend, highlighting the cause of the charity and also designed to make Coulthard’s final grand prix a little more memorable. Wings For Life enjoy a good relationship with Red Bull Racing, the 2007 British Grand Prix cars being adorned with the faces of those who donated to the cause of finding cures for Spinal Cord Injury Paralysis.

The charity and the work Wings For Life do is held very close to many drivers, some having walked away from potentially career-ending accidents, and Coulthard particularly has had his fair share of bumps and bruises on and off the track.

I was lucky more than once in my career when I walked away from crashes. I want to express how grateful I am that I have the ability to walk and run. I know that many aren’t as lucky as me. I dedicate my last race to the vision of making paraplegia curable. David Coulthard.

Barrichello’s Commemorative Lid

Brazilian driver Rubens Barrichello could also be competing in his final race tomorrow afternoon, but what better place to bow out than at home in Brazil. Although Ruben’s may still get the second Honda seat next year, it is perfectly possible for the team to chose another up-and-coming driver instead. But whatever the outcome, the former race winner will be wearing a different helmet this weekend.

Vettel’s Commemorative Lid

Also joining in with the special helmet designs is new race winner Sebastian Vettel. The German pilot became the youngest ever race victor when he took to the top step of the podium in Italy earlier in the year. The win was also the first for Scuderia Toro Rosso and the squad managed to reach the achievement before the parent team Red Bull did. Vettel’s helmet features images from that day as well as a message to his team on his final outing with them (Vettel is joining Red Bull for next season). The message reads “Grazie mille Toro Rosso!”, which translated reads “A thousand thanks, Toro Rosso”.

Piquet’s Commemorative Lid

And lastly, in his first and possibly last Brazilian Grand Prix, Nelson Piquet Jr. has hopped on the band-wagon and allowed a Brazilian flag to be painted onto the top of his helmet. Like with Barrichello at Honda, Renault are keeping tight-lipped about their 2009 driver line-up, and despite a good run of results in the latter half of the season, Piquet may still be ousted from the team in favour of someone else.

Original article by BlogF1.

Brazil 2008: Special Helmets & Liveries

It has been noted that during the Saturday free practice sessions in Hungary and Valencia, both Renault drivers started out lapping the circuits very slowly. It is believed the team were simulating a safety car period before telling the pilots to open the throttle and set a series of faster laps. However, Fernando Alonso believes that under a more controlled environment like a test session, the Enstone team would be better able to judge if this cooler-period is helping their Bridgestones or not.

When Autosport asked Alonso if he felt the mini-test during the practice sessions was of benefit and if any conclusions could be drawn, the Spaniard wasn’t entirely sure.

In Hungary the results were better than normal and we were quite happy with the performance of the tyres. But everyone was happy with the performance of the tyres on Sunday because in Hungary the grip was going up and Sunday was okay for everybody.

I think we need a test, maybe this week in Monza, to really compare the tyres because in the race weekends the conditions change so much from Friday to Sunday you never know if it is worth what we do or not. Fernando Alonso.

Other teams aren’t convinced of Renault’s idea yet, but it is fair to say that Renault themselves aren’t exactly brimming with confidence over the current findings either. Ross Brawn said that Honda will run their race tyres through a “gentle duty cycle” prior to Sunday afternoon so that they are more resiliant during the race. I too am not convinced that Renault’s theory holds up, because most drivers do not like safety car periods due to the fact that the pressures change in the cooling rubber boots and dramatically affect the car’s handling. Having said that, I have heard many an expert basically describe tyre control as a “black art” in the past.

I will keep an eye on this week’s test at Monza and I catch anything relating to this, I will certainly share.

Original article by BlogF1.

Fernando Alonso Seeks Tyre Evaluation From Renault

Original article by BlogF1.

Caption Contest: #49

The Brazilian driver arrived in Formula One with a lot of promise, many people believing he would blow Alonso away. Needless to say that hasn’t exactly happened and the poor Renault pilot has struggled to get to grips with the R28. It is also worth noting that the 2008 Renault isn’t a great car and comparing Piquet to Alonso is a little unfair; Ecclestone recently rated Fernando as the best all-round driver on the grid. And with two championships behind him already, it is hard to disagree with the diminutive Brit.

Piquet passed Alonso in the closing stages of the French Grand Prix and went from eighth to seventh and demoted his team mate down the points order. After finishing the race Piquet was naturally exuberant with his first point-scoring result in Formula One, as was team boss Flavio Briatore, a man who has been almost unnaturally calm following Piquet’s troubled start to 2008.

It’s the first time that everything has gone without any problems for me. The car and the team’s strategy worked well and I was able to score my first couple of points today. I am happy and I hope that we can continue like this for the rest of the season. Nelson Piquet Jr.

Nelson had a remarkable race, very consistent and aggressive, and I am very pleased to see him score his first points today. Flavio Briatore.

However, while Piquet’s points will be enjoyed for the next two weeks, is it enough to quell the concern at Renault HQ. Last month Steve Nielson was critical of Piquet and refused to deny that his position was under threat.

I think rather than say he’s had a disastrous start to the season, it’s a bit of a curate’s egg – there are good bits and bad bits.
But he needs to start having more good bits than the bad bits, and he needs to start doing that as soon as he can because F1 is a business, it’s a very cut-throat business, and if people don’t deliver they go the obvious way. Steve Nielson.

Piquet has been testing a lot recently, and generally he has appeared to be more consistent at recent races. But is it already too late? Kovalainen scored points in only his second Formula One race last year, and then he scored again in Spain before starting a string of good finishes from the British Grand Prix onwards.

Therefore, I think it is fair to say that Piquet needs to continue his result from France to push for more during the middle of the season. He needs to minimise his retirements and stick to Alonso like glue.

Image © Glenn Dunbar/LAT.

Original article by BlogF1.

Has Nelson Piquet Jr Saved His Bacon?

Badoer was said to have been very happy about the running he has managed at this test session, the Italian veteran concentrating on aerodynamic developments in an important mid-season push from the Scuderia. Although despite running very well, Badoer did have to park up his Ferrari at the end of the pitlane at one point during the day, the car having run out fuel.

We were able to work continuously and without any major technical problems. We saw interesting results from some new components, which might prove useful in the forthcoming races. On top of that, we also got through everything we had planned in terms of engine reliability work. Luca Badoer.

Nick Heidfeld took over from Robert Kubica for the final day, and the German driver went sixth fastest after mainly concentrating on tyre warm-up issues, the apparent cause of Heidfeld’s recent slump in performance. Rubens Barrichello stayed on from yesterday while Nico Hulkenberg was brought back for Williams. Although fuel levels are unknown, Hulkenberg did manage to lap faster than the Scuderia Toro Rosso of Sebastian Vettel, and was only 0.002s shy of Barrichello.

Image © Glenn Dunbar/LAT.

Original article by BlogF1.

Barcelona Test Day Three: Piquet Jr Tops The Tables

Nelson Piquet Jr completed the most laps, touring the short, twisty configuration of the track 193 times. The Brazilian driver has come under fire today from his bosses, Piquet Jr being told to improve if he is to cement his future with the Renault team. After comforting the driver with admittance that 2008 is Piquet’s first year in Formula One, Renault Sporting Director Steve Nielson went on to say that his young driver has to sharpen up.

We saw last year with Heikki, he had a difficult start to the season and then he was able to turn it around and I think Nelson has to do the same. Steve Nielson.

Nielson spoke of Piquet’s Turkish race, praising Nelson for doing well on Friday and Saturday, but making an error on Sunday didn’t go down as well with the Renault controllers.

So I think rather than say he’s had a disastrous start to the season, it’s a bit of a curate’s egg – there are good bits and bad bits.

But he needs to start having more good bits than the bad bits, and he needs to start doing that as soon as he can because F1 is a business, it’s a very cut-throat business, and if people don’t deliver they go the obvious way. Steve Nielson.

Stern and poignant words from Nielson, and I feel it is clear that although team chief Flavio Briatore has shown great patience, those above the usually fiery Italian are growing weary of the excuses.

Force India fielded a second car at the test today, the only team to do so. Both race drivers got a chance to rack up the mileage, completing 120 laps between them. Although both cars ended the day at the bottom, Sutil managed to be within 0.024s of ninth-placed Kazuki Nakajima, Fisichella just 0.019s behind his team mate.

Original article by BlogF1.

Paul Ricard Test Day Two: Raikkonen Takes Charge, Piquet Told To Improve

Piquet Jr managed to get into Q3 for the first time this afternoon, and although he could only get as far as tenth, Renault Technical Director Pat Symonds has hinted that Nelson is running a different strategy to Alonso. It is therefore very likely that Alonso is indeed light while Piquet is perhaps a little heavier. However, if Piquet is carrying more fuel, then being 0.15s down on the BMW of Nick Heidfeld isn’t too shabby. In fact, only 0.8s separated the top ten ofter the third round of qualifying, proving just how close the leading pack are to one another at this circuit.

If we attempt to decide where Renault are in comparison to their rivals, it can get a little tricky and I’m sure everyone has their own view. I personally feel they have made inroads into BMW’s margin over them and providing Piquet can raise his game and better support and push Alonso, the team should end 2008 in a comfortable fourth place. Taking the average lap times of the team and working out the difference is a little crude, particularly as Piquet has often failed to get beyond Q2, and has thus set a considerably faster lap time than Alonso in Q3. However, it does show that when all four drivers (both Renault and BMW) are in Q3, this time around Renault were the fastest team. It doesn’t necessarily mean a decent race though.

Average Qualifying Times For Renault & BMW Thus Far In 2008

Looking at the qualifying times of BMW and Renault shows improvement for the Anglo-French squad today, but because the difference between Alonso and Piquet is so great, the overall balance of the team is hurt. The actually positions achieved show slightly more consistent improvement.

Qualifying Positions For Renault Thus Far In 2008

One thing is for sure though, and that is the Enstone-team have improved, Piquet looks a little more settled in the car and even though Fernando is going to pit quite early tomorrow, he will cause a headache or two for the McLarens and BMWs who will be desperate to pass.

I wonder where Renault will be at the Turkish Grand Prix?

Further Reading

• Australian Grand Prix Qualifying Result
• Malaysian Grand Prix Qualifying Result
• Bahrain Grand Prix Qualifying Result
• Spanish Grand Prix Qualifying Result

Photo courtesy of Glenn Dunbar/LAT.

Original article by BlogF1.

Have Renault Improved, Or Was Is It For The Fans?

We all hope Alonso can return to Renault, keep his head down and bring the car up to scratch so he can return to doing what he does best – winning. Unfortunately, he’s been teamed with Nelson Piquet Jr, a confident rookie, aware of his ability and not afraid to show it out on track. Sound familiar?

Presumably Renault know what they’re doing in pairing the two this year. I believe Heikki had to make way for Alonso, both in ego and in budget, and they wouldn’t sacrifice the opportunity by putting Hamilton: The Sequel in his place.

During the torturous year that was 2007, Briatore was quite happy to claim he would never let his team get into the state that McLaren were in. Claiming that he wouldn’t make the same mistakes, is one thing, but does Flavio have what it takes to keep peace and harmony? The one advantage he has is that he knows how Alonso works. He knows what makes the guy tick, and what upsets him. I also imagine that Flav isn’t afraid of putting his foot down. Where you can see Ron playing nice and trying to placate both sides of his warring team, I imagine Flav just lays down the law and people listen – even Alonso.

Flavio is probably as prepared as he can be for the season ahead, but does he know what Piquet is capable of, or just how fragile Alonso really is?

The long, long 2007 season with Lewis Hamilton will have scarred Alonso. Whilst at all times he defended everyone, proclaiming that he was being treated fairly and saying he didn’t regret his time at McLaren for a second, his actions belied the truth. No one deliberately holds up their team mate in qualifying unless there is a serious problem there.

And the problem wasn’t just Hamilton’s failure to listen to instructions. Alonso hates to be beaten. We probably knew this before, but it’s never been more apparent. The only thing he despises more than being beaten is losing to a rookie. Fighting for the title with a seven times world champ is a lot different to battling the new guy on the block.
Even if he’s telling himself otherwise, there’s no doubt that Alonso’s confidence is knocked, his ego bruised. This year, though, he’s back in the bosom of his favourite team, his family, where he should feel more at home and confident to throw his weight around.

The media spotlight will be on him once again, waiting for any sign that yet another rookie is getting the better of him. Even if it’s only a couple of tenths between them, hungry journalists will be waiting to see whose door the helmet knocks down this year.

It’s amazing how quickly two world championships can be swept under the carpet, and Alonso’s reputation and future in the sport will most likely depend on how he carries himself this year. He has everything to lose.
Nelson, on the other hand, has everything to gain.

The Piquet dynasty has always looked out for number one. Nelson Piquet Sr was known for not playing well with his team mates. At best, you could say he kept himself to himself. Now Jr is here to continue the tradition. He’s risen through the ranks, knows the business inside out, and how to get what he wants – do you know of any other young drivers who gets an F3 team built around them?

Like Hamilton, Piquet was strong in GP2. In fact, 2006 saw them against each other in a season-long struggle of teams and wills in which Hamilton eventually triumphed. Perhaps the only thing Piquet and Alonso will have in common is that they know what it’s like to battle with (and be beaten by?) Lewis Hamilton.

2007’s third driver role saw little mileage for Piquet at Renault. He won’t be as experienced on the tracks as Alonso, despite his GP2 and testing practice. Unlike Hamilton at McLaren, Piquet won’t benefit from a state of the art simulator, so learning every inch of the track before a race is not possible.

Despite the lack of testing mileage allowed, Piquet was never shy about saying the race seat was waiting for him. Unafraid of jinxing the drive, he was convinced he’d be the next Alonso before even Flavio was. Now he has the chance to prove it.

The calendar ends as it always does, in Brazil – Piquet’s home country. If it’s a close fight between them, momentum will end with Piquet. However, Alonso effectively has two home races this year, Barcelona and Valencia. This echoes the situation as it was with Michael Schumacher – the defending champ having the home crowd behind him twice. This is bound to affect Alonso, in a positive way, but how will Piquet react?

When it comes down to it, the pair have to work together. Alonso claims to bring vast amounts of speed to a car, and with Renault recovering from a bad season, his concentration needs to be on that and not on a rowdy teammate. Meanwhile, Piquet can learn a lot from the double world champion, both good and bad. As long as the pair can remain civil, this could be a successful partnership, but I believe the fate of the relationship will rest mostly in Piquet’s hands.

Christine writes/records for Sidepodcast, F1 Minute and I Heart Franck.

Original article by BlogF1.

F12008: Guest Post On Alonso & Piquet Jr

Nelson Piquet Jr

Son of former world champion Nelson Piquet, Junior has grown up around motor racing. Initially living with his mother in Monaco, Nelson moved to Brazil to be with his father when his was still young. It was the time spent in Brazil, learning about the culture and language, that Nelson started to gain interest in his fathers previous job.

With substantial backing from Piquet Sr, Junior started competing and rose through the ranks like any other driver, occasionally receiving a helping hand from his dad (he set up a GP2 team). Eventually Piquet Jr found himself in a testing role at Renault, helping out regular drivers Kovalainen and Fisichella. Piquet Jr actually took this job from Heikki Kovalainen who was promoted himself in 2007. Piquet was similarly promised, allegedly, a race seat for 2008. And sure enough, Flavio Briatore promoted his new young driver and Piquet Jr partners double world champion Fernando Alonso this year.

It is unknown just how the young Brazilian will fair at Renault, Alonso having gained a reputation for being not the greatest of team mates. Perhaps it is wrong to judge a man’s character on one year, but if Alonso has succeeded in gaining number one status at Renault, this will not help Piquet in the slightest.

Of course, Nelson could blow the Spaniard away this year. After all, he only just missed out of the 2006 GP2 title to Lewis Hamilton who faired well in the McLaren during his maiden season. A lot of Piquet’s pace will also come down to the car. The R27 was a bit of a handful, and while it has surely improved, we won’t know exactly how good it is until qualifying in Melbourne.

Sebastien Bourdais

Sebastien is currently a world champion. His current trophy complements the other three he has on his mantelpiece. But for Bourdais though, the Champ Car World Series is not enough, and for a very long time the French driver has dreamed of adding the Formula One drivers trophy to his collection.

Bourdais has tested Formula One cars in the past, once with Arrows, who went under before Bourdais could be signed. His second test came with Renault, but contractual complications got in the way and Sebastien chose to remain in America. It is alleged that Bourdais’s Renault contract hinged on Flavio Briatore getting a signature on a management contract as well; something Sebastien did not want.

Not giving up though, Sebastien came over to Europe a few times last year to test with Scuderia Toro Rosso, and after a falling out with their current drivers, Gerhard Berger and Franz Tost signed the Frenchman for 2008. It seems strange that a CCWS world champion would sign for a midfield team, flying in the face of previous crossovers like Jacques Villeneuve and Juan Pablo Montoya who both joined Williams initially. But I feel this proves just how much Bourdais wants to be in Formula One. He’s completed CCWS and really there is only F1 left of the single-seater classes.

How will he fair? With difficulty. STR are starting the season with last year’s chassis, albeit modified to fit with the changes in regulations. The STR2 finished 2007 quite strong though; it was clear how Red Bull had improved the chassis during the season. And to top it all off, I have a feeling Sebastien could be spending a couple of seasons at STR before being promoted to Red Bull to replace David Coulthard. Which, if the master-plan goes accordingly, would be when they finally combine a reliable and fast car together.

Kazuki Nakajima

The second Japanese driver to grace the grid this year will be Nakajima, another child of a former Formula One driver. Unlike Piquet though, Nakajima purposefully distanced himself from his father during his progressive years in lower formulae. Instead of teaming up with Honda, as his father did, Kazuki signed for Toyota, the result being a drive for the Toyota-powered Williams in 2008.

Kazuki has already completed his first race though, driving in the Brazilian Grand Prix last year. Alex Wurz, the team’s full-time driver retired early, allowing Williams to fully assess Nakajima’s ability before waving a contract in front of his face. The cynic in me says that Wurz was asked to retire early in order for Kazuki to get some practice in, the Japanese driver I feel already having a contract in place thanks to pressures from Toyota.

Either way, Nakajima has already got the most difficult hurdle out of the way, and aside from running over his pit crew, Kazuki’s maiden race went quite well. His lap times were good, his control wasn’t bad. All in all, it wasn’t a bad effort, although being partnered to Nico Rosberg may put Nakajima in the shade a little. Williams have placed a lot of faith in Kazuki though, a decision I’m sure they wouldn’t have taken if they were unsure.

Timo Glock

Toyota have another new driver this season (aside from Nakajima in the Williams), but Timo Glock isn’t as fresh-faced as you might think. Back in 2004 the German driver raced for Jordan when Giorgio Pantano stepped aside. It was only one race, but Glock immediately showed decent pace in the under-powered car and, thanks to some disqualifications, actually scored points on his debut.

Timo returned to the same car for the remaining three races that year, although no more points came due to a slow down in the car’s development and less luck on his side. His performances though should have brought Timo a race drive for 2005, but alas it did not. Instead, Glock went to America to drive in the CCWS, enjoying moderate success and finishing the year in 8th.

A return to Europe in 2006 and participation in GP2 was the plan for Glock. With GP2 being the feeder series to Formula One, the plan was to have another crack at getting into motor sport’s pinnacle series. His first season was dominated by Lewis Hamilton and Nelson Piquet Jr, but Glock managed two wins and finished in fourth. In 2007, the title was his with four wins and an eleven point margin to his nearest rival. Glocks’s 2007 campaign was dove-tailed with testing duties with BMW, but towards the end of the year Toyota made an approach and Timo signed. There were some contractual complications involved, but BMW were eventually forced to let Glock go.

2008 will see the German’s second chance at competing in Formula One, and he really has to make it stick this time around. Few drivers are ever given a second chance, and although Timo perhaps didn’t deserve to be without a drive in 2005, he needs to make sure he has one for 2009. But with his previous experience and testing with BMW, Glock should hit the ground running. He’ll probably get thrashed in qualifying, team mate Jarno Trulli being quite spectacular over one lap. During the races though, Glock has every chance of challenging Trulli and taking the fight to his experienced team mate.

Original article by BlogF1.

F12008: The Rookies

The team finished third in the 2007 constructors race, fourth on merit had McLaren been allowed to continue. It isn’t a great result when you’re used to winning and setting the pace for others to follow. The R27 was a troubled car, but in the same breath it wasn’t a complete disaster either. Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen managed to scrape a few points at most races, both drivers becoming fairly consistent in the final half of the season. It wasn’t enough to convince the management though and 2008 will see a new line-up. Fisichella was unceremoniously dumped, but this was something that I don’t think surprised many. Kovalainen essentially swapped places with Alonso and the double world champion returns to his home team and rekindles his relationship with Briatore.

The Drivers

I would imagine Fernando Alonso will be trying his best to forget his 2007 campaign. Although the Spaniard was in with a shout of the drivers title up until the final race, the political battles, relationship issues and personality clashes that caused the team headaches during the year must have weighed heavy on Alonso’s mind. When your sole job is to drive a car as fast as possible you don’t want to be explaining to your boss why you chose to hold up your team mate during a qualifying session.

Alas, Fernando will quickly move on if he hasn’t already done so. In fact a recent article on one of the news sites suggested the fued, if you can it that, between himself and Lewis Hamilton is over. Alonso needs to focus on the new R28 and work on extracting the maximum from it. Familiar surroundings will be advantageous for Fernando, and I bet the team were pretty happy to hear of his return. Alonso may not add six tenths to the speed of the car, but his knowledge of how things are done at Renault is probably worth a couple. Knowing how the mechanics work, how they think and they solve problems all helps during the pressurised event of a grand prix.

However, despite knowing all that he does, and having all the experience of winning that he does, 2008 will not be a walk-in-the-park for Fernando. Last year Alonso faced his strongest competition to date from the sister car in the team. Lewis Hamilton showed Alonso from the very first race that he wasn’t going to stand aside and this is probably an equivalent of a curve-ball for Alonso. Returning to Renault though, may not be the solution.

For sure Alonso is now away from McLaren and Hamilton. He has let his hair grow and will undoubtedly sport some new-fangled facial hair at some point this season, but his team mate at Renault may bring back a few unwanted memories from last year.

Nelson Piquet Jr, son of former world champion Nelson Piquet, has finally been promoted to Formula One and will be sitting alongside Alonso in the sister R28. From watching Piquet Jr’s performances in GP2, his battles with eventual champion Hamilton, it shows that Nelson is certainly a competitive spirit. And talented to boot.

2008 will be Jr’s rookie season, but the Brazilian has spent last year testing for the team and getting know everyone and everything. We regularly saw him on the pitwall during races and while Alonso is Briatore’s bambino, Piquet maybe about to steal the limelight. Like Hamilton said this time last year, Piquet has resigned himself to being number two, but has also stated that he will push for podiums/wins if the car and circumstance allow.

Ultimately experience should prevail, although I believe I said that last year and the McLaren duo ended up on 109 points each. But in more comfortable surroundings Alonso will settle in quickly and depending on where the car is, push hard for 2008 or focus on 2009.

The Car

The R27 didn’t live up to the R26 from Renault’s most recent championship-winning season. Certainly Alonso made up some of the pace, but it is unfair to lump all the blame on Fisichella’s and Kovalainen’s shoulders. However, Alonso has been with Renault since the early December and has been testing hard in Spain over the winter. Where has that left the car? Worryingly off the pace actually. Testing is difficult to assess and it would be presumptuous to gauge the true pace of a car from a few laps around a circuit that isn’t necessarily on the calendar. Even comparing one team to another is tricky, but reading comments from drivers, seeing how the team work during the test and looking to see how changes are made to the car all paint a vague picture. For Renault, the car isn’t particularly pacey in terms of lap times, but other than that nothing else appears out of the ordinary.

The R28 was built early and tested even before its launch. At times Alonso and Piquet have been in the top six, others they’ve propped up the timing sheets. But the car hasn’t visibly changed that much since January, suggesting that the direction the car was taken in during the design stage was good. The team haven’t been panicking during the test session and they’ve had no serious problems over the winter. The comments from the drivers have been mixed. They started out as optimistic, both drivers suggesting they could fight for podiums. Recently though the tone has changed and now Alonso is speaking of “seventh to ninth”, which is about where the team were last season. Piquet too has revised his optimism and is now saying: “We are not fighting the McLarens. We are trying to fight BMW and Red Bull and Williams. We are not expecting to win races.” Hopefully development during the course of the year will bring them closer to the top two or three.

The Prediction

With Alonso onboard I would be surprised if they weren’t fighting for the 2009 titles, but this year is 2008 and that is a totally different kettle of fish. Depending on where BMW fall on the grid, Renault will either see themselves move ahead or remain behind. They should be able to stay ahead of Red Bull, if anything to save the embarrassment; Renault supply engines to Red Bull. I think the fate of this year depends of the competitiveness of the BMW F1.08 and not on the R28. The car appears to have made very little progress, although the actual team is likely to be stronger. Therefore it is down to the other teams to either succeed or fail.

Original article by BlogF1.

F12008: Renault

I think for me it was very easy because I knew the team already and it was very easy to work with the test team and first day I was in the factory, doing the seat fitting, it was like time had not moved on. It was like the end of 2006, I am very happy and comfortable with everybody in the team, and am very happy. Fernando Alonso.

I had a great role with the team last year, got to know everybody in the factory, race and test team. It was a great year. Everything worked well, got the race drive.

As a team, having Fernando alongside me now, he has a lot of experience, we have great experience together. The team won two championships and if they did it once they can do it again. Nelson Piquet Jr.

Despite being the number two to Fernando Alonso, Piquet was upbeat about his chances to claim some podiums, but was careful not to get too excited by the moment.

If car is able to do podiums I try to do podiums, if it can win then we try to win. I try to do my best and have a good year. Melbourne still seems a long way off to me. We have a lot of work to do beforehand, and I am focused on the next test sessions and our development programme.

My aim this year is to get the maximum out of the package, and to do a good job for the team. There will be a lot to learn and I not underestimating the challenge of Formula One. Nelson Piquet Jr.

More Photographs Of The R28

Original article by BlogF1.

Renault R28: More Information & Photos

After claiming the constructors title in 2005 and 2006, the departure of Fernando Alonso to McLaren sparked a downward trend for the team over the winter and their 2007 car was not as good. Although continuity was kept with Giancarlo Fisichella, rookie team mate Heikki Kovalainen took a while to settle in to the team. The squad only managed to collect 51 points and finished third (fourth if you include McLaren) behind BMW last year. However, through the complicated mess of last season comes the return of Alonso, and although the double world champion will again be partnered with a rookie, it is hoped the boosted morale will lift the team back to its feet again.

The R28 has already made its track debut with Alonso running the new chassis around Valencia last week. The initial feedback was good and no doubt the car will be tweaked further before the 2008 season begins in Australia in March.

There is only one winner of the championship, so it is not easy, but we need to be there fighting for the podiums and a 50 percent chance each time we start to be in the top four.

Fernando back in Renault is a big motivation, we are very happy, we know him for many years. To have him back is fantastic for Renault, for the team and our partners. Nelsinho is a good asset, we have another young driver. People always talk about why we don’t have a French driver, but we also achieve to have a super young French driver for the future. I am happy. We start the season with a high motivation and we want to be the best. Flavio Briatore.

2007 was a very poor year by our standards. For 2008, there are high expectations inside and outside the team, and it is down to us to give the drivers a competitive car. We have put the problems from 2007 behind us and in terms of the car design, we have looked at the problem afresh.

The team pushed very hard in all areas, and particularly on the aerodynamics. The front end of the car has come in for special attention with a brand new front wing and the front suspension. The rear end has also been heavily reworked, and we haven’t neglected the basics.

The car ran reliably in its first test, and we made encouraging progress on performance development last week. We are confident that the advances we have seen in the wind tunnel will be reflected on track. Bob Bell.

I know the team, the working methods and how Renault goes racing. We got down to work straight away, and I immediately felt comfortable with the engineers and mechanics. The welcome from the team was fantastic, and saw I lot of people I knew from when I was here before. I am happy to be back at Renault, and I think I will be more relaxed ahead of the new season. Fernando Alonso.

From first impressions, the car looks like a solid development from the R27, conforming to the standard of cars thus far with tightly sculptured sidepods, a bridged front wing and smoother lines flowing towards the rear. Renault have also moved away from mounting the mirrors on the sidepod, reverting to the tradition monocoque position. It was found last year that mounting the mirrors on the sidepods caused drivers to not see properly due to the increased vibrations around that part of the car.

Photographs Of The R28

Original article by BlogF1.

Renault R28: Launch & Photos

The new Renault doesn’t look too different to last years, although like most others now sports a bridge front wing arcing over the tip of the nose. Alonso prefers a simple car that he can drive easily, a method he used to good effect last season with the McLaren MP4-22.

The 2008 challenger will be launched at the end of the month on 31st January, but will continue to run at Valencia this week as the team test and further develop various components.

More information and photos to follow.

Original article by BlogF1.

Renault R28: First Sight With Alonso Driving

When you marry, split up and get back together it is not easy. We and he have the intention of finding a solution. This week will be decisive for the marriage. He can choose and he knows us. Flavio Briatore.

The spy case involving Renault could be what is stopping Alonso from confirming his return to the team, but his options are running out. Toyota finally announced Timo Glock earlier today, and while the Japanese team have said that Jarno Trulli’s contract is not set in stone, it is unlikely the Spaniard would move to Cologne. Honda must appear a little more tempting given that they have just acquired Ross Brawn, and the team are still yet to announce Rubens Barrichello. Jenson Button has also given the squad an ultimatum – improve or I’m out. So Button will give the team another season, but Barrichello’s seat is potentially still available. Williams are sewn up, Ferrari are set and the only remaining team that could be rich enough to afford Alonso is Red Bull. However, time is running out and the double champion hasn’t driven a Formula One car since the Brazilian Grand Prix last October.

The telling words from Flavio Briatore also suggests that Heikki is out of the team, despite the Finn improving towards the end of 2007. Does this mean Kovalainen is McLaren bound? It would make sense. Ron Dennis doesn’t want another year of driver separation, and I think Lewis would get along better with Heikki. Also clearing his desk (actually rumoured to have already happened) is Giancarlo Fisichella. The experienced Italian is likely to leave the team should Alonso be signed up and the options for the race winner are limited. Giancarlo is another driver who was ominously missing at the recent Barcelona test and few teams seem interested in his services.

Original article by BlogF1.

A New Line Up At Renault

I would today like to announce my retirement from active racing in Formula One. I would like to thank my family and fans, everyone at AT&T Williams and my previous teams, as well as the media, for all of their support during my Formula One racing career.

In such a hard fought environment as Formula One, I have always maintained that if you have a moment’s doubt about what you are doing, then it is time to stop. Privately I began to have these thoughts earlier this year and so have decided that now is the time to make my announcement. Racing this season has been a real pleasure, especially securing the podium in Canada which was pretty sweet along with a number of other strong races, but now it is time to call it a day. I’d like to thank the team for accepting my decision and I wish them all the best for the last race of the year. Alex Wurz.

Alex has been generally outpaced this year by his younger and lesser-experienced team mate Nico Rosberg, and the Austrian driver has been struggling with qualifying. Although the experienced tester managed a podium at the Canadian Grand Prix, his season has been overshadowed by Rosberg’s. Despite this though, team boss Frank Williams had some kind words to say for his former driver.

Alex has made an invaluable contribution to the team for the past two years, first as one of the best test and development drivers the team has ever worked with, and more recently as a race driver. This season Alex has had some very strong drives in difficult circumstances and we would like to thank him for all he has contributed. Alex is well known, immensely popular and widely regarded as one of Formula One’s gentlemen. I am sure I speak for everyone in the paddock when I wish Alex and his family the very best for the future. Frank Williams.

Williams have Kazuki Nakajima on their books, and the Japanese driver has competed in GP2 this year as well as performing some man-Friday tasks as and when he was available. The Grove team are yet to announce who will race in Brazil, but Nakajima must be crossing his fingers right now. Another driver who has been linked to the 2008 seat is current Renault tester Nelson Piquet Jr. Like Nico, Nico is also a son of a former World Champion and it is possible that Renault might let him race for a year with another before recruiting him back to race with more experience with Renault.

Williams are expected to make an announcement tomorrow.

Formula One, F1, Alex Wurz, Williams, Kazuki Nakajima, Nelson Piquet Jr

Original article by BlogF1.

Wurz Brings Retirement Forward