Autoblog

Red Bull and Renault renew partnership for five more years

Noah Joseph — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 15:04:00 EST

Of all the automakers that have supplied engines to Formula One teams over the years, few have seen Renault's level of success. But while the French automaker scored world championships with its own team in 2005 and 2006, the bulk of its achievements have historically come as supplier to independent teams.

This season Renault is powering three teams, and will power Williams once again starting next season. But without a doubt its most successful partnership has been with Red Bull Racing. The team is the current reigning champion in both the drivers' and constructors' categories, and looks poised to repeat this year. Little surprise, then, that the two outfits have opted to renew their partnership for five more seasons.

The newly announced agreement will see Red Bull running the current V8 engines and KERS hybrid system for the next two seasons, during which it will collaborate directly with Renault Sport on the development of the new 1.6-liter turbo V6 units for use starting in 2014. With Red Bull and Renault stepping up to such "premium technical cooperation", we can't help but wonder if the French manufacturer is looking to further decrease its direct involvement with its own works team and elevate Red Bull - long rumored to switch its engines to Infiniti branding - to its principal collaborator. Official announcement after the jump.

Continue reading Red Bull and Renault renew partnership for five more years

Red Bull and Renault renew partnership for five more years originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Sep 2011 15:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: Heidfeld to fill Kubica's seat at Lotus Renault GP

Noah Joseph — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Lotus, Renault

Filling the proverbial shoes of Robert Kubica is no easy task. The grand prix winner - one of only 102 in history - is the first Polish driver to make it in Formula One, and he is rated as one of the best in the business. Fill his space, though, is exactly what Renault has had to do after Kubica's unfortunate crash in an Italian rally left him severely - if not critically - injured. But if anyone's up to the task, it's Nick Heidfeld.

The two were former teammates for several years at Sauber, and for his part, Heidfeld has finished more races than any other driver on or off the grid. He's also become the de facto go-to guy for outfits who need an experienced driver to step in post-haste, having been selected by Pirelli to test their new F1 tires and then brought back to Sauber when Pedro de la Rosa wasn't working out last season.

Having tested Heidfeld at its recent Jerez session, the Lotus Renault GP team has announced that they've selected the German driver to take Kubica's place until he's able to return to racing. Heidfeld's selection wins out over Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean, both of which also have race experience (albeit considerably less) and are contracted members of the team's test-driver roster.

After stints at Prost, Sauber, Jordan and Williams - to say nothing of McLaren and Mercedes GP where he's served as a test driver - Renault will make the fifth team for which Heidfeld will now have driven over the course of the eleven consecutive years he's now been on the grid since his debut at the 2000 Australian Grand Prix. His best result to date was the fifth place finish he scored at Sauber in the 2007 Championship and his eight second-place grand prix finishes. Follow the jump for the official announcement.

[Source: Renault]

Continue reading Officially Official: Heidfeld to fill Kubica's seat at Lotus Renault GP

Officially Official: Heidfeld to fill Kubica's seat at Lotus Renault GP originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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F1 teams wish Robert Kubica a speedy recovery at Jerez test

Noah Joseph — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Safety

Speedy Recovery, Robert - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Formula One circus is in Jerez this weekend, testing the latest batch of racecars before the season kicks off next month in Bahrain. But something's missing. Someone actually, and that someone is Robert Kubica.

The Polish driver on the Lotus Renault GP team, as you may have heard, is recovering in the hospital from injuries substained in a rallying accident in Italy that had his car impaled by a roadside guardrail. At the Jerez test his team will be giving a number of drivers - including their own tester Bruno Senna and F1 veteran Nick Heidfeld - a shot at temporarily filling Kubica's seat, but they're not the only ones feeling his absence.

The majority of the teams on the grid have placed special messages of hope for Kubica's recovery somewhere on their cars. Some have placed them on the front wings, some on the sidepods or front keel, while others have placed them on the side of the rear wing. But the message is the same: "Szybkiego powrotu do zdrowia Robert", in his native Polish - speedy recovery, Robert. We've assembled a few close-ups of the messages on the Jerez test cars and placed them for your viewing pleasure in the gallery below, so click on to check 'em out. Thanks for the tip, Arek!

Gallery: Speedy Recovery, Robert - Jerez F1 test

[Source: F1Fanatic]

F1 teams wish Robert Kubica a speedy recovery at Jerez test originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lotus Renault GP to evaluate Nick Heidfeld in Jerez for Kubica's seat

Noah Joseph — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Lotus, Renault

Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld launch the BMW Sauber F1.09

A fast-paced world like Formula One can't afford to sit still, even when one of their own is down. So while Robert Kubica recovers in hospital, his Lotus Renault GP team is facing the tough decision of what to do in the meantime. Kubica's not expected to recover until halfway through the season at best, so they'll need someone to fill in until then.

Previous reports linked Tonio Liuzzi and Nico Hulkenberg - both of who lost their race seats this season - as potential candidates to take Kubica's place, but the team itself has just confirmed that Nick Heidfeld is to drive the new R31 at the upcoming Jerez test in Spain.

Heidfeld is a German driver who's been in F1 since 1998, driving for such teams as McLaren, Prost, Jordan and Williams. He drove alongside Kubica for four seasons at BMW Sauber from 2006 through 2009. Last season he was contracted to Mercedes GP as a test driver, but was released when Sauber needed a replacement for Pedro de la Rosa. Could he fill the same role for Renault, or will the team promote one of its test drivers to the hot seat instead? Follow the jump for the official statement.

[Source: Lotus Renault GP]

Continue reading Lotus Renault GP to evaluate Nick Heidfeld in Jerez for Kubica's seat

Lotus Renault GP to evaluate Nick Heidfeld in Jerez for Kubica's seat originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Followup: Kubica recovering as Renault weighs potential replacements

Noah Joseph — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Lotus, Renault

Robert Kubica arrives at Santa Corona hospital in Pietra Ligure, Italy

The Lotus Renault GP team has issued another update on the progress of its star pilot Robert Kubica. The Polish driver, for those who haven't been following, crashed during the Ronde di Andorra in Italy on Sunday - just weeks before the start of the F1 season - and was airlifted to a local hospital where doctors treated him for multiple fractures and severed tendons in his right limbs.

With the bulk of the procedures now behind him, Kubica is conscious (some reports state that he was revived from a medically-induced coma), and conversing with his doctors as well as visiting relatives and colleagues. Later this week, Kubica will have to undergo additional surgery (for his right shoulder and foot), to be followed by another procedure a few days later. He's expected to stay at the Santa Corona Hospital where he has been since the crash for another two or three weeks, after which he'll likely be transfered to another location to rehabilitate, likely for between five months and a full year.

With his recovery underway but a long road ahead, Renault will need to find someone to temporarily take his place for the impending season. Although the team has both Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean - both recent F1 drivers - on contract, the team is reportedly examining all of its options. Among them are Force India drivers Tonio Liuzzi and Nico Hulkeberg, both of which raced last season and have proven themselves competitive drivers. Liuzzi lost his seat this year at Force India, while Hulkenberg took a test-driver role with the team when he lost his seat at Williams.

[Source: Lotus Renault GP, ESPN | Image: Silvio Fasano/AP]

Continue reading Followup: Kubica recovering as Renault weighs potential replacements

Followup: Kubica recovering as Renault weighs potential replacements originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Videos: Robert Kubica's crash at the Andora Rally

Noah Joseph — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Videos, Renault, Skoda

Robert Kubica's crash at the Andora Rally - Click above to watch the videos after the jump

The motor racing community and the public at large are watching and waiting to see what becomes of Robert Kubica. The Renault Formula One driver crashed his Skoda Fabia S2000 at the Ronde di Andora rally in Italy over the weekend and was medevac'd to a local hospital where he is currently recovering.

For those who haven't been following the story, Kubica (pronounced, incidentally, "koo-bee-tza") sustained severe damage to his right leg, arm and hand, and surgeons operated in shifts around the clock to repair the damage. The big question is whether the multiple fractures and severed tendons can be repaired, or whether his promising career is effectively over. Fortunately his fellow Polish co-driver Jakub Gerber appears to have escaped unscathed from the guard-rail that pierced the vehicle.

While we don't have actual footage of the crash taking place, a video showing the carnage after the crash has emerged and someone has actually created a simulation of what happened. If accurate, we can see the Kubica is very lucky to have only sustained the injuries he has. Check out both the footage and the simulation videos after the jump.

[Source: CarGuyDad]

Continue reading Videos: Robert Kubica's crash at the Andora Rally

Videos: Robert Kubica's crash at the Andora Rally originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Followup: Injuries could force Kubica out of F1 season - if not entire career [w/video]

Noah Joseph — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Lotus, Renault, Skoda

Kubica's crashed Skoda - Click above to watch video from surgeons' press conference after the jump

With his recovery still in the critical phase after his accident, it is looking ever more likely that Robert Kubica will be out for the season, and possibly for the rest of his career.

The Renault Formula One driver suffered a devastating crash yesterday at the Ronde di Andora rally in Italy, where he crashed his Super2000 Skoda Fabia into the side of a building at a reportedly very high speed. He was airlifted to a local hospital where teams of surgeons operated on injuries sustained to his right limbs, including severe tendon damage and multiple bone fractures in his right forearm.

Although Kubica does not appear to have suffered any serious neurological damage from the crash, the injuries sustained could spell the end of his career, as questions remain as to how fully he can recover. What looks to be all but certain, however, is that he will in all likelihood be watching the impending F1 season - set to start in about a month - from pit wall.

Fortunately for Renault - and unlike the situation faced by Ferrari after Felipe Massa's crash - the team has a deep roster of reserve drivers at the ready to partner with Vitaly Petrov, including Bruno Senna (who drove for HRT last season), Romain Grosjean (who drove for Renault two years ago), aspiring Asian drivers Fairuz Fauzy and Ho-Ping Tung, and LMS champion Jan Charouz.

Of course, at this point, everyone is wishing Kubica a fittingly speedy recovery, and we'll keep you updated on his progress. In the meantime, we invite you to follow the jump for the latest statements from the team, and for video footage of the surgeons' press conference outside the hospital.

[Source: Lotus Renault GP | Image: Roberto Ruscello/AP]

Continue reading Followup: Injuries could force Kubica out of F1 season - if not entire career [w/video]

Followup: Injuries could force Kubica out of F1 season - if not entire career [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lotus Renault GP launches its first car in the black (and gold)

Noah Joseph — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Lotus, Renault, Racing

2011 Lotus Renault GP R31 - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Lotus Renault GP team has had a lot of names and owners over the years, and even more liveries. Not to be confused with Team Lotus (also powered by Renault engines this year) that unveiled its new green and yellow car we saw yesterday, and with which the the company is still embroiled in a naming rights dispute, Lotus Renault GP is the most recent incarnation of the Toleman team that operated in the early 80s, which then became Benetton before flying the Renault team flag under which it raced until the end of last season.

Following the Spygate scandal that shook up the team's leadership and saw the withdrawal of its sponsors, the participation of Group Lotus as title sponsor - together with Genii Capital's investment - comes just in the nick of time for the troubled (erstwhile championship-winning) outfit.

The new car bears the name R31, showing continuity with the team it succeeds, and the black and gold livery that the other Lotus outfit was initially planning to run and that hearkens back to the iconic JPS livery which the original Lotus team ran under Renault power back in the 80s.

An evolution of the Renault R30 that raced last year, the R31 was unveiled in the pit lane at Valencia where the first pre-season test session is now underway. Also like last year - and after much speculation over the direction they'd take - the R31 will be driven by the Eastern European pairing of Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov.

The team has also lined up an extensive test-driving crew including Bruno Senna (sacked from the race seat at HRT), Romain Grosjean (who drove for Renault in 2009 after securing the GP2 Asia Series title), Fairuz Fauzy (the Malaysian driver who bolted the other Lotus-Renault team), aspiring Sino-Dutch driver Ho-Ping Tung and Le Mans Series champion Jan Charouz. Follow the jump for the full press release and scope out the images in the gallery below for more.

Gallery: 2011 Lotus Renault R31

[Source: Lotus Renault GP]

Continue reading Lotus Renault GP launches its first car in the black (and gold)

Lotus Renault GP launches its first car in the black (and gold) originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: Lotus Renault GP rolls up its sleeves

Noah Joseph — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Lotus, Renault

Lotus Renault GP livery - Click above for high-res image

In the highly competitive environment that is Formula One racing, things can get a bit messy. Rivalries. Crashes. Underhanded maneuvers. Team orders. Scandals. But identity crises? This is a new one. But that's just what we're looking at with Lotus. Because you see as we head into the 2011 championship, two teams are on the docket that both claim the same name and plan to fly the same colors.

We're talking about Lotus-Renault, a legendary pairing but one with a serious split-personality disorder. For the past several months Group Lotus and its Malaysian parent company Proton have been embroiled in a naming rights dispute with Tony Fernandes, owner of what's until now been called the Lotus Racing team. After licensing the name from Proton (and having nothing to do with the engineering firm and automaker we know as Lotus), Fernandes decided he didn't need Proton's permission anymore and renamed his outfit Team Lotus, commensurately switching from Cosworth to Renault engines and pledging to bring back the iconic Lotus black and gold livery.

After a brief exchange in the press, negotiations between the two Lotus parties went behind closed doors. Then reports surfaced that Group Lotus (the automaker) was considering buying Renault out of its stake in its own F1 team, reports that have now been confirmed by official announcement. Renault (the French automaker) has sold its stake in its F1 team to its investment partner Genii Capital, which has in turn sold part to Group Lotus. Retaining Renault engines, the team is therefor being rebranded Lotus Renault GP, and has released the image above showing what their car could look like under the new livery next season.

Thing is, Fernandes' Team Lotus is contracted to use those same engines, and was planning on resurrecting that same iconic livery. Neither seems eager to relent, but there can only be one Lotus-Renault team, so something's got to give before the season kicks off in Bahrain on March 13, so stay tuned and check out the full press release after the jump.

[Source: Renault]

Continue reading Officially Official: Lotus Renault GP rolls up its sleeves

Officially Official: Lotus Renault GP rolls up its sleeves originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Russian PM Putin test drives F1 car

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Renault, Russia

Putin channels his inner Patrese - Click above to watch video after the jump

Renault's Carlos Ghosn was recently in Russia to settle on purchasing a 50-percent stake in AvtoVaz, and it appears he brought along a vintage Renault Formula 1 car for his pal Vladimir Putin to flog about. Once installed in the cockpit, Putin gets some instruction from a Renault engineer in French-accented English, then cranks the revs and runs it down what looks like a wet runway. There looked to be at least one spin involved, but considering how finicky F1 cars are to drive even for the paid professionals, it didn't look like a bad job. Follow the jump for the video. Hat tip to Duy P!

[Source: Siberian Light]

Continue reading Video: Russian PM Putin test drives F1 car

Video: Russian PM Putin test drives F1 car originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 07 Nov 2010 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Renault to sell F1 team to Lotus?

Noah Joseph — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 09:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Lotus, Renault

If you thought it was confusing for Red Bull to own two F1 teams, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Emerging reports from the F1 paddock seem to paving the way for not one, but two teams under the Lotus-Renault banner.

The development stems from Renault's anticipated plan to scale back its F1 participation from full-fledged manufacturer team to engine supplier, like it was years ago. Renault recently sold the bulk of its F1 operation to Genii Capital, and if the automaker were to further downscale its involvement, Genii would be in the market for a new partner. According to reports, that partner could be Lotus.

This is where it gets a little tricky. As you're aware, the Lotus name is already on the grid, controversially licensed to a Malaysian team, which recently confirmed a deal to use Renault engines (and gearboxes from Red Bull, which also uses Renault engines) for next season. But that operation is not the Lotus that could potentially take Renault's place as the automaker behind the front-running F1 team.

Word has it that Lotus Cars - the British automaker, not the Malaysian outfit - could step in to Renault's shoes with a factory-backed F1 team in the same mold as Ferrari's or Mercedes GP. Color us intrigued, but then we'd have not only two Lotus teams on the grid, but two Lotus-Renault teams. That's bound to get confusing, but with closed-door discussions over said naming rights reportedly underway, sources expect the Malaysian team will drop the Lotus moniker next season.

[Source: Autosport]

Renault to sell F1 team to Lotus? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 07 Nov 2010 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Renault-Raikkonen negotiations grind to a halt as team shifts management

Noah Joseph — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Renault

After weeks of back-and-forth negotiations and media speculation, former F1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen has ruled out the prospect of returning to the sport with the Renault team. The Finnish driver who left F1 for the World Rally Championship last year has left a big question mark over if he would ever return to the series he conquered in 2007, stating that he'd consider it only if he could drive for a team with a serious chance of winning.

Renault won two back-to-back world titles with Fernando Alonso (who, incidentally, took Kimi's seat at Ferrari, prompting his departure) a few years back, and has been showing considerable promise this season with Robert Kubica at the helm. The team's form reportedly prompted Kimi's people to contact Renault about a potential drive, but in a recent interview, the Finn objected to the manner in which the French outfit publicly handled the negotiations, accusing them of using the prospect as a marketing ploy and negating the possibility of his joining the team for next season.

In related news, Renault F1 managing director Bob Bell has stepped down from his position, handing the reins to team principal Eric Boullier. Bell had stepped up in the wake of the Crashgate scandal, and the change-up marks the biggest shift in management at Renault since Flavio Briatore and Pay Symonds were booted out of the sport in the scandal's wake. Details of the appointment can be found in the press release after the jump.

[Sources: Autosport, Renault | Image: Roni Rekomaa/AFP/Getty]

Continue reading Renault-Raikkonen negotiations grind to a halt as team shifts management

Renault-Raikkonen negotiations grind to a halt as team shifts management originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Renault F1 looks to sign big names for next season

Noah Joseph — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 08:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Earnings/Financials, Renault

With Robert Kubica's contract up for renewal at the end of this season, speculation has been rampant around the F1 paddock as to where he'll end up next. The highly rated Polish driver debuted with BMW-Sauber in 2006 after winning the Formula Renault 3.5 title the year before, and went on to land as high as fourth place in the drivers' standings two years later. This season the Pole switched to Renault and is sitting in sixth place so far after a couple of notable podium finishes. Reports now indicate that he's looking to stay with the French team - which won back-to-back world titles just a few years ago - for another few years, so long as Renault can secure funding to compete at the top.

To that end, Renault is reportedly in discussions with MasterCard as title sponsor, something the team has been missing in the wake of the Crashgate scandal and subsequent dismissal of its top personnel. The credit firm had sponsored the Lola team in 1997, but failed to make it to the grid entirely. MasterCard's sponsorship money, however, could be just what Renault and Kubica need to get back on track.

And what about the second seat, you ask? That's currently filled by Vitaly Petrov, a young Russian rookie that Renault signed for financial concerns. With more cash on hand, the team could look to sign a more experienced and capable driver, and has been recently linked with bringing Kimi Raikkonen back to the series. This could get interesting.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Andrew Ferraro/LAT/Renault]

Renault F1 looks to sign big names for next season originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Renault: You're too fat, Vitaly Petrov!

Noah Joseph — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 08:20:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Renault

Imagine you're running an F1 team. You're spending millions to shave precious pounds off the car's weight. And then you hire a driver who's carrying an extra few pounds around the middle, and the advantage is lost.

That's essentially what's happening at Renault F1 this season with their rookie Vitaly Petrov. The Russian driver is almost as tall as his team-mate Robert Kubica, but crucially weighs some 10 kilograms (or 22 lbs) more. Kubica made headlines in the last few years at BMW-Sauber, where he went on an extreme weight-loss regimen in order to improve his performance.

Petrov, meanwhile, just managed to finish his first grand prix and score his first championship points this past weekend in Shanghai, having failed to make it to the finish line in the three previous rounds.

According to reports, the French team has instructed its driver to lose a few pounds. Trimming weight off the driver's body mass allows the engineers to play around with extra ballast (required to reach the minimum curb weight allowed under regulations) and trim the car's handling accordingly.

[Source: Autocar]

Renault: You're too fat, Vitaly Petrov! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FIA, Briatore put an end to legal saga

Noah Joseph — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Renault

It's been a long, drawn-out affair extending back two years since the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. That's when then-Renault F1 chiefs Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds allegedly instructed their rookie driver Nelson Piquet Jr to crash on purpose and give the advantage to his world-champion wingman Fernando Alonso. The scandal erupted the following/last season when Piquet blew the whistle. Briatore and Symonds were summarily excommunicated from Formula One and any FIA-regulated racing series (which is pretty much all of them).

Briatore fought back and had the ruling overturned in court on procedural grounds. The FIA said it would appeal Flavio's appeal (and we're not talking about his famous supermodel-luring swagger here), but now the two parties have apparently reached an out-of-court settlement.

Both Briatore and Symonds will soon be cleared to return to F1 or other FIA-sanctioned series, beginning at the start of 2013 F1 season and the end of 2011 for other racing disciplines. In the meantime, the FIA is abandoning further legal recourse, citing the best interest of the organization and of motorsport as its motivation.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Paul Gilham/Getty]

FIA, Briatore put an end to legal saga originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crashgate Keeps Gate Crashing: Piquets reportedly suing Briatore for libel

Noah Joseph — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Renault

You didn't actually think we'd heard the last of Crashgate, did you? The scandal that rocked the Formula One racing world last season and well into the post-season involved the Renault F1 team, its driver Nelson Piquet, Jr. and its top executives Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds.

For allegedly directing Piquet to crash on purpose during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, thereby handing the advantage to teammate Fernando Alonso, Briatore and Symonds were banned - permanently and temporarily, respectively - from the sport. Briatore eventually had the sentence overturned in French courts, and whistleblower/culprit Piquet found nothing but cold shoulders when it came time to find a new race seat.

As part of the ongoing debacle, the Renault team under Briatore's direction issued a statement in September 2009 claiming that Piquet's assertions were entirely fabricated. As a result, according to ESPN, Piquet and his three-time World Champion father are now suing the disavowed Briatore for slander, with punitive damages sought to the tune of £200,000 (about $300k). Considering how many millions the Piquet and Briatore estates must be worth, the six-figure sum seems like a drop in the bucket, but that's still more than we could say for Nelsinho's flash-in-the-pan career in F1 that didn't even last two seasons.

[Source: ESPN]

Crashgate Keeps Gate Crashing: Piquets reportedly suing Briatore for libel originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Renault F1: Sponsored by... Lada!

Alex Nunez — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Renault, Russia

Renault R30 F1 car - click above for high-res image gallery

Renault F1's got itself a new sponsor: Lada. The Russian automaker's logo will appear on the R30 racing cars, as seen above, as well as the driver and crew uniforms. The announcement was made at a meeting held this Monday in Moscow, attended by Vladimir Putin, Carlos Ghosn, new Renault F1 pilot Vitaly Petrov, and a gaggle of other functionaries.

If you think the Lada sponsorship has anything to do with Renault F1 bringing the Russian rookie on board as the full-time #2 driver alongside lead guy Robert Kubica, you're right. It pretty much has everything to do with it, as both Genii Capital (the majority stakeholder in Renault F1) and Renault-Nissan (25% stakeholders in AvtoVaz, Lada's parent) actively work to advance their interests in Russia.

Petrov's hiring is part of a broader overture toward Russia (on Monday, Ghosn came right out and said that Petrov's nationality played a role in his selection), and the Lada sponsorship is obviously a reciprocal act. And it may not be the last one, either, as Putin indicated during Monday's meeting that Russia (i.e. Lada) could increase its sponsorship involvement in the future.

Clearly, the most important takeaway from all this, however, is that the idea of a shirtless Vladimir Putin, watching the Monaco GP from the deck of a Typhoon-class sub moored among the superyachts in Monaco Harbor, no longer seems completely outlandish.

Gallery: 2010 Renault R30

[Source: Renault F1, Government of the Russian Federation via Autoblog UK, Crash.net]

Renault F1: Sponsored by... Lada! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Renault F1 launches R30 with back to the future livery [w/video]

Sam Abuelsamid — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:03:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Renault, Racing

Renault R30 F1 challenger - Click above for high-res image gallery. Follow the jump to watch video.

On Sunday the Renault F1 team revealed its 2010 race car with a color scheme that hearkens back to the team's debut in the late 1970s. The yellow-and-black livery was the traditional pattern used by Renault on its Formula One and Le Mans sports cars before the company began taking on title sponsors.

Of course, the downside of the retro look is that the team still has not signed a title sponsor to replace insurance company ING, which called it quits last summer after the team was found guilty of having Nelson Piquet Jr. deliberately crash during a race in late 2008.

The automaker now owns only a minority stake in the team after having sold most of it to Genii Capital.

At the launch of the new racer, Renault also announced that Russian Vitaly Petrov will run alongside ex-Sauber driver Robert Kubica in the second car. Petrov is the first Russian to get a full-time F1 drive. A video and press release are included after the jump.

Gallery: 2010 Renault R30

[Source: Renault]

Continue reading Renault F1 launches R30 with back to the future livery [w/video]

Renault F1 launches R30 with back to the future livery [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flavio Briatore suing the FIA... again?!

Noah Joseph — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Renault

Flavio Briatore is out for blood. The flamboyant Italian billionaire and disgraced former director of the Renault Formula One team was kicked out of the sport by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) in the wake of the "Crashgate" affair involving Nelson Piquet Jr., but subsequently won an appeal in French courts overturning the FIA's ban (along with that of his cohort Pat Symonds) The courts upheld the argument made by Briatore's lawyers that the FIA's judicial process was corrupted under Max Mosley's presidency, and that its rulings were illegal.

Despite the legal victory, Briatore says he'll never manage another F1 team again. He is, however, reportedly opening another lawsuit against the FIA for lost income. Part of the lifetime ban imposed by the motorsport governing body included Briatore's driver management agency, which had to give up such talents as Fernando Alonso and Heikki Kovalainen. The lawsuit will seek damages for those lost revenues, as well as the damage caused to Briatore's professional reputation.

For its part, the FIA - now under new leadership - has announced its intention to overhaul its procedures to separate the powers, but that won't stop Flavio from seeking his day in court.

[Sources: Pitpass, Autosport | Image: Clive Mason/Getty]

Flavio Briatore suing the FIA... again?! originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: French court overturns F1 bans for Briatore and Symonds

Frank Filipponio — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Renault

Former Renault Formula One leads Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds

It looks like 2010 is starting off as a better year for Flavio Briatore. According to Planet F1, a French court has overturned the lifetime ban on the former Renault Formula One head honcho, along with alleged co-conspirator Pat Symonds. As you no doubt recall if you're still reading this, back in September, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile found the pair guilty in the so-called "Crashgate" conspiracy involving driver Nelson Piquet, Jr. of Renault F1. Nelsinho was allegedly told to crash on purpose to protect a win for teammate Fernando Alonso in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

The FIA had found the pair guilty, doling out a lifetime ban for Briatore and a five-year ban for Pat Symonds, then director of engineering. Although Briatore had threatened legal action against Piquet and his manager-father in the wake of the ruling, the only legal action he ended up taking was to file an appeal with the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris. The TGI has sided with Flavio claiming the FIA's sanction "was illegal." Besides overturning their bans, the court also awarded the pair damages, although the amount was small compared to what the pair was seeking. It remains unclear as to if, when, or where the duo will make their returns to racing series, but knowing Briatore, we'll all know as soon as he decides. Thanks for the tips, everyone!

[Source: Planet F1 | Image: Paul Gilham/Getty]

Report: French court overturns F1 bans for Briatore and Symonds originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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