Renault RS27 engine - Photo: Renault Sport Media
Renault Sport F1 head to Albert Park in Melbourne this weekend with high hopes of adding another win to its already impressive 142 wins. For 2012 the French engine manufacturer continues its supply for Red Bull Racing, Lotus F1, Team Caterham and revives a former golden partnership with Williams for the first time since 1997.
Williams team principal Frank Williams commented: “We are delighted to be embarking on a new season in partnership with Renault. This is an important move for the team as we look to lay the foundations for a long and successful partnership with such a leading car manufacturer.”
Head of Renault Sport F1 Remi Taffin spoke of the biggest challenge of the off-season: “One of the biggest has been putting together a team for our new partner, Williams. The process started straight after the announcement of the deal in July 2011, which was actually the perfect time to start working on engine-chassis installation as that's when the fundamental principles of the next season's car are laid out.”
“In parallel, we also started discussing the trackside operations and how we would best service Williams within our given structure. As we started the process very early, it has been quite straightforward, which has been borne out in the high number of kilometres we've been able to cover over the winter testing period.”
Christian Horner will be looking to bring home the drivers and constructors championships once again and hopes to build on the successful five years it has partnered with Renault. ” Our aim this year is to increase our results tally, while also continuing to build on the partnership for future years. V6 engines are due to be introduced in 2014 and, with our enhanced technical agreement in place, we will be working closely with Renault Sport F1 as they develop these units to optimise their inclusion in our chassis.” he said.
F1 minnows Caterham F1 will want to build on the progress of 2011 with team principal Tony Fernandes commenting: “We have invested in many areas of the team to put us in the position we find ourselves in our third season, and bringing Renault Sport F1 on board was one of the most important steps we made, early in the development of the team.”
