2010 team previews: Renault

If the R30 goes as well as it looks with its classic black and yellow colour scheme, Renault should have no issues in 2010!
Renault have had a disastrous couple of years in F1, but they are back with a new owner in Genii Capital, driver lineup in Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov, and team principal in Eric Bouiller. Will they fare any better?
Renault R30
The Renault R30 looks great with it’s black and yellow livery, that harks back to the days when Rene Arnoux was battling Villeneuve in a Renault with a similar colour scheme, but it’s not just the paint job which has changed on the Renault from last year’s R29.
The main changes are the result of accommodating the much larger fuel tank for the 2010 rules and re-optimising the car without KERS.
The car has also undergone intense aerodynamic development, with the rear of the car being considerably reworked to allow the car to make the most of the ‘double- decker’ diffusers that were first seen last year.
One possible drawback with the Renault is it’s engine. Like Red Bull Racing, the R30 uses the Renault RS27 engine; while this engine is very good on fuel economy – something very important in 2010 with the refuelling ban, it is down on power in comparison with most other engines, and it also lacks reliability.
Drivers
Robert Kubica was billed as the next big thing, and he has shown good pace, but it has never quite materialised into the championship challenging performances we have expected. His results at BMW Sauber were sporadic, and he has never had the consistency he will be eager to find in 2010.
Vitaly Petrov may be bringing as much as £13 million to Renault in sponsorship money, but the first Russian ever in F1 shouldn’t be dismissed as purely a pay driver. Petrov finished 2nd in the GP2 championship last year, and has been also relatively successful in GP2 Asia. As with all rookie drivers, we will have to see if that translates into good F1 ability.
Renault unveil R30 (Gallery & Video)
Renault have today unveiled their 2010 car: the Renault R30, at Valencia.
As expected, Robert Kubica is joined by Vitaly Petrov who will be Renault’s second driver and Ho-Pin Tung the reserve alongside Jerome D’Ambrosio. (More in a separate story soon).
Press pack
Renault go retro
The old livery is back! As we predicted, Renault have gone retro, and returned to the classic yellow and black livery they used from 1977-1985, and boy does it look good! Along with some images of the new car, we have attached some of the original yellow/black Renault’s, to demonstrate just how retro Renault have gone.
You will notice a distinct lack of a title sponsor – financial services company ING prematurely left the team when the ’spygate’ scandal came to light, and so did insurance company Mutua Madrilena
What do you think of the livery?
Images (C) Renault/LAT













































