With the eyes of the Formula 1 world looking on them, the Renault Sport Formula 1 Team officially launched today in a press conference in Paris, confirming their all-new driver lineup, management, and the name of their 2016 challenger, the RS16.
The team revealed its "testing livery" for the Renault RS16, confirming a familiar black and yellow scheme. Luxury automaker Infiniti was confirmed as a primary sponsor of the team, after spending the last three years as the title sponsor of Red Bull Racing.
Former McLaren driver Kevin Magnussen was officially confirmed as the team's new lead driver, replacing Pastor Maldonado, who confirmed Monday that he would not be racing in Formula 1 in 2016. The 23-year-old Dane finished eleventh in the standings in his debut season with McLaren in 2014, finishing a sensational second in his debut race in Australia that year, and is a former champion of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series. Magnussen also brings Danish clothing line Jack & Jones to the team as a prominent sponsor.
He will be paired with 2014 GP2 Series champion Jolyon Palmer, who spent last year as Lotus' primary reserve driver. Like Magnussen, 24-year-old Palmer is another second-generation driver, whose father Jonathan competed in Formula 1, Le Mans, and the BTCC. He won four races, three feature race pole positions, and claimed twelve podium finishes in winning the GP2 title two years ago for DAMS.
Waiting in the wings, 19-year-old Esteban Ocon will be the team's reserve driver in 2016. The young Frenchman is one of the top Formula 1 prospects of the future, claiming both the FIA European Formula 3 Championship and GP3 Series Championship over the last two years. His plans for full-time racing in 2016 are yet to be confirmed, with rumours linking him to a move to the DTM series via his alliance with the Mercedes driver development programme.
And behind him, will be the members of the newly-founded Renault Sport Academy, a driver development programme which will be headlined by reigning Formula V8 3.5 champion Oliver Rowland, Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 champion Jack Aitken, and his main title rivals from last year, Louis Deletraz and Kevin Jörg.
Cyril Abiteboul is the team's new Managing Director, overseeing the organization. Abiteboul revealed modest goals for the Renault team, saying that he expects podium finishes over the next three years, while working close with new partners Infiniti to develop new technology. Frederic Vasseur, the co-founder of ART Grand Prix - one of the most successful teams in single-seater racing - will step up to the role of Racing Director, serving alongside a familiar face to the Enstone organization, Bob Bell, the Chief Technical Officer.
Jerome Stoll, head of the newly-founded Renault Sport Racing organisation that will oversee all of Renault's motorsport activities, ended their Wednesday press conference by saying: "We have the resources, the team, the organisation, the spirit. Renault is back to win."
With a new lead driver in Kevin Magnussen and new leadership at the top, will Renault Sport F1 be competitive now, and in the years to come? Leave a comment below and discuss your thoughts on the Renault launch!
Image Credit: Renault Sport F1 Team
