ING Renault F1 Team roars into F1 with spectacular Amsterdam
launch of R27 racer, aims for continued on-track success
The ING Renault F1 Team today nailed its new colours to the
mast with the launch of the all-new R27 F1 car and a striking
visual identity.
The ING Renault F1 Team today signalled its arrival in Formula
1 in style, with a spectacular media presentation in front
of 600 VIPs and media in Amsterdam. Winners of consecutive
world championships in 2005 and 2006, the team proudly unveiled
new title partner ING and the striking new livery that will
adorn the R27 cars throughout the 2007 season and beyond.
Renault F1 Team President Alain Dassas spoke of "exciting
challenges" for the coming season, which will see the
team's championship campaign spearheaded by Italian Giancarlo
Fisichella, in his third season with the team, and Finnish
rookie Heikki Kovalainen.
"Double championship success in 2005 and 2006 has earned
Renault its status as a major force in Formula 1," asserted
Dassas. "Our Formula 1 championship success is a benchmark
of excellence that we aim to meet in every area of our operations.
The Renault F1 Team's performance culture reflects the ambitious
objectives of our company-wide plan, Renault Commitment 2009.
Consecutive double championships are concrete proof that Renault
can win in a demanding environment where success demands quality,
technical excellence and reliability.
"We must now live up to that reputation. The team will
present a fresh face to the world with the arrival of ING
as our new title partner, and we are proud to welcome this
major, global financial institution to Formula 1. But on track,
our challenge will remain the same: we will be asking our
technical teams and drivers to make Renault a championship
contender in 2007."
After evaluating the three top teams in Formula 1, ING selected
the Renault F1 Team as the perfect fit for its first global
marketing campaign. With a reach of 60 million clients around
the world, ING is seeking to exploit its significant investment
in Formula 1, which will also include title sponsorship of
the opening round of the season in Australia, to grow brand
awareness globally. The Renault F1 Team's track record as
a proven winner was a decisive factor in their decision to
sponsor the reigning world champions.
"Our Formula 1 programme is a global sponsorship initiative
which will help us to enhance the awareness of one unified
ING brand worldwide." explained Tilmant. "Formula
1 is currently the best platform for a global sponsorship
programme, as it has the potential to reach a broad customer
base. We chose Renault for its track record as a high-performing
team. We are convinced that teaming up with the Renault F1
Team fosters our objectives of encouraging teamwork, performance
culture and permanent progress. I am confident that the ING
Renault F1 Team will remain highly competitive in the coming
years. I wish the team a lot of success in the coming season".
The ING Renault F1 Team's 2007 challenger has been christened
R27. The new car represents an evolution of the design philosophy
that won world championship success in 2005 and 2006. Every
part of the car has been designed to meet demanding performance
criteria that will enable the team to maintain its front-running
performance. The aerodynamic packaging represents a further
step forward over its predecessor in terms of overall efficiency,
and innovative solutions have been employed in a number of
areas to achieve improved performance under stable technical
regulations. The car also features a new ‘instantaneous
gearchange' seven-speed gearbox, and has been designed with
maximum set-up flexibility in order that its dynamic characteristics
can be tuned to suit the Bridgestone Potenza tyres that will
be used by every team in 2007.
"I am very proud of the team's work on R27," commented
Technical Director Bob Bell. "We have enjoyed two seasons
of remarkable success, but there is no complacency at all
at Renault. Finding performance under stable regulations always
obeys the law of diminishing returns, but our technical group
has worked hard to innovate and ensure that the new car represents
a genuine step forward over its predecessor in every area.
"The aerodynamic packaging is even more sophisticated
than in previous years, while the gains from our new gearbox
have been significant on track. We have kept the mechanical
configuration of the suspension consistent in order to understand
as thoroughly as possible the demands of the new Bridgestone
Potenza tyres. We made a successful start to the adaptation
process in the latter stages of 2006, and this will continue
up to the first race. Everybody is expecting an extremely
competitive season in 2007, and we are confident that our
proven track record of world championship success will prove
a considerable asset in that battle. The team is hungry to
continue winning, and the R27 reflects that determination."
The new car will be powered by the 2.4L V8 RS27 engine, which
has been designed to the requirements of the ‘engine
homologation' regulations which will be in force for 2007
and beyond. Conceived to limit expenditure on engine development,
these rules specify that no performance improvements can be
made to the engine relative to the definitive specification
that will be submitted to the FIA by 1 March 2007. The engine
is based on the RS26 V8 engine that competed in the Chinese
and Japanese Grands Prix last season, and has been re-tuned
in line with modifications permitted by the regulations for
the new maximum rev limit of 19,000 rpm that will be imposed
on all competitors.
"Our work for 2007 has been very different to previous
years," revealed the team's Deputy Managing Director
(Engine), Rob White. "Rather than designing a new engine,
as we have done every season since 2001, the regulations have
limited our work to optimising how the engine operates within
the new 19,000 rpm rev limit. Our development work has been
conducted within the framework of the new rules and although
the engine will be called RS27, it contains just 10% new parts
– compared to over 95% in previous years. However, it
remains one of the most advanced competition engines in the
world, operating in an extreme environment, with tiny margins
for error. As always, our goal will be to achieve the only
acceptable objective for a top-line Formula 1 engine: zero-defect
reliability. We have worked hard to blend this with competitive
performance for the season ahead."
The RS27 engine will also equip the cars of Red Bull Racing
during the 2007 season, under the terms of a new engine supply
agreement. The agreement specifies that both teams will use
the same specification of engine, and a team of Renault F1
Team engineers will provide trackside support to Red Bull
Racing. The new agreement marks the continuation of a tradition
that begin in 1983, and which has seen customer Renault engines
win 80 Grands Prix since that time.
"We are very much looking forward to the new challenge,
which is part of Renault's racing tradition," explained
the team's Head of Engine Track Operations Denis Chevrier.
"We will be looking to derive maximum benefit from every
kilometre completed by a Renault engine, to improve the performance
and reliability of all four Renault engines on track. But
Red Bull Racing will remain a competitor like any other for
the ING Renault F1 Team. We have established very clear operating
principles for the new relationship, and look forward to an
honest, trusting collaboration with our new partners."
The R27 completed its first shakedown in Jerez on 16 January,
and the team tested at the same circuit from 17-19 January
with two brand new chassis – a first for the team, that
provides a decisive advantage in allowing both race drivers
to accumulate maximum mileage in the R27 before the opening
race of the season. The team completed over 2000 km in testing,
with only minor early-life reliability problems. Following
their first test at the wheel of the new car, 2007 race drivers
Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen are already feeling
positive about their chances for the new season.
For Giancarlo Fisichella, 2007 will be his third year with
the team – and the opportunity to deliver on the promise
glimpsed during the previous two seasons. Having been an integral
part of the team's championship successes in 2005 and 2006,
the Italian will aim to add race-winning consistency to his
natural speed in order to become a regular contender at the
front of the field. An unquestionable asset will be his extensive
Formula 1 experience, as he will be the third most-experienced
driver in the field in 2007.
"The spirit of the team is strong after two fantastic
seasons, and we are feeling optimistic," explained the
Italian. "The has shown its confidence in me for the
new season, and I determined to repay that in the best way
possible, out on track. The team knows how to design winning
cars capable of fighting for the championship. That means
there is a fantastic opportunity for me this year, and I am
determined to make the most of it."
Alongside Fisichella will be new team-mate Heikki Kovalainen,
one of the brightest young talents in Formula 1. The Finn
has completed over 30,000 km in testing during recent seasons,
and has proved his racing credentials as a member of the Renault
Driver Development programme since 2002. The team has now
offered him the rare opportunity to make his Formula 1 debut
in a championship-winning team.
"I am very excited about the new season," commented
the Finn. "But I know that so far, I have achieved nothing
at all. I pushed myself very hard last year in testing, to
show the team that I was capable of doing the job. They had
faith in me, and now it is my turn to deliver on that promise.
It is a big privilege for a rookie driver to start his career
in a race-winning car, and I am focused on doing it justice.
This will be a season where I have a lot to learn, and I need
to keep mistakes to a minimum. There will be pressure, but
that will come from me, because I always drive myself to improve
in every area. Overall, I am expecting 2007 to be a fantastic
year for me. I am in the best possible place to start my career,
and my focus is on preparing as thoroughly as possible for
the first race – and the sixteen to come after that."
The race driver duo will be aided by newly-recruited test
drivers Nelson Piquet Jr. and Ricardo Zonta. They will bring
a valuable blend of youthful talent and professional experience
to the team, as it manages the transition to Bridgestone tyres
while simultaneously building for the future.
At the ING Renault F1 Team, all the ingredients are in place
to start a new winning era, under new colours. An exciting
new title sponsorship and new faces in the driver line-up
signal the beginning of a new era, but the foundations are
firmly rooted in the title-winning success of recent seasons.
"This is no year of transition for the ING Renault F1
Team," emphasised Managing Director Flavio Briatore.
"We have always said that the team is what matters, and
that success comes from the team spirit that unites us. 2007
is a fantastic opportunity to prove exactly that. There are
some big changes for this season, not just at Renault but
throughout the grid. We believe in our choices, and we are
confident that they will help us achieve more success in 2007.
It will be a year of tough competition at every level. Those
are the conditions that allow the best teams to shine, and
that is exactly what we intend to do."
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