Renault mootorispordi strateegia

The forging of Renault Sport Racing and Renault Sport Cars is the next chapter in an already compelling story.

For more than 115 years Renault has embraced the challenge of motorsport in multiple guises. It recognised the value of competitive activities for technical and commercial gain: in December 1898 Louis Renault drove the Type A Voiturette up the steepest street in Paris, the rue Lepic. The first orders for the ground-breaking car with direct drive flooded in. In 1902 the nimble, lightweight Type K, fitted with Renault’s first 4-cylinder engine, took victory in the Paris-Vienna rally. Again, many more cars were sold. Going through the years, in 1977 Renault introduced the first-ever turbocharged car to F1. Turbocharging is now a standard feature on both high- performance and volume roadcars. In 1992 we won the championship as an engine partner to Williams with the most technically advanced car ever seen in F1. Today, the heir of this fruitful relationship, the Clio Williams, is still held to be the best hot hatch of a generation.

Whether as a partner, engine supplier or team owner, we have remained loyal to motorsport. In Formula 1 we have put our spirit into more than 600 races and this drive has paid dividends. In 2005 we fought tooth and nail to secure a first World Championship title under the Renault banner. From 2007 to 2013 we became the most successful engine supplier in the V8 era, winning four consecutive titles. This passion has driven us to 12 Constructors’ titles, 11 Drivers’ titles and 168 Grand Prix wins overall. No other volume manufacturer has enjoyed such success nor continuous commitment.

Now, there is a hunger for more.

We have set very aggressive targets – not to pay homage to the success of the past, but to re-energise multiple platforms within Groupe Renault. We aim to win or, rather, to put ourselves into a position to challenge for wins in the long term. But we also need to harness the value of our involvement through our marketing and communications strategies immediately.

F1 is an opportunity for Renault to enhance the performance and technical developments of its road car range, but also to promote them to a massive following on a global footing. With a worldwide audience of more than 450 million viewers, F1 is one of the most publicised sports in the world, covered in five continents and in emerging markets in particular. Its growth potential is enormous, with many opportunities yet to be fully exploited, including social media networks and video games. The opportunities to promote the Renault brand and products are overwhelming.

Our F1 programme will form the core of the new entity, Renault Sport Racing, which regroups all competitive racing programmes from Formula E to Formula Renault 2.0 and customer racing. This will dovetail with the evolution of Renault Sport Technologies to Renault Sport Cars, which will take responsibility for the development and commercialisation of Renault’s sports car portfolio. This revised competitive architecture will allow osmosis of technology, personnel and marketing benefits throughout the group.

In fact, the name Renault Sport Formula One Team underscores the crossover between F1 and roadcars and the importance we place on this aspect. Renault Sport Cars is recognised worldwide for its excellence in hot hatches such as the Mégane R.S. and Clio R.S. In the past we have harnessed the benefits of engine technologies such as turbocharging and downsizing, and technologies developed on track in competitive activities, including the 4CONTROL steering system and electronic dual clutch system, are now core performance enhancements of the Renault Sport range. Now we have the ideal opportunity to go even further, particularly since we have decided to double our R&D budget and investment in the Renault Sport range in tandem with our renewed F1 commitment.

Moreover, brands within the Renault-Nissan Alliance will be able to use the new team as a launch pad for their own strategic ventures. Infiniti will join as a technical partner for the energy recovery system, while Nissan will enjoy a greater involvement and benefit from the excellent facility at Viry-Châtillon.

It is clear that from 2016, motorsport will become firmly entrenched within Renault.