A wave of optimism is sweeping over Renault

Renault today officially presented its new R29 to the international press during its first testing session at the Algarve Motor Park circuit in Portimao, in the south of Portugal.

Willing to make the best of these new rules, the team is optimistic about the upcoming season, as confirmed by Flavio Briatore: « We started our R29 program very early, and I am proud of what the team has achieved. We had to deal with many changes this year, which could have unsettled us, but we are determined to stay at the forefront. »

We will fully focus on the final preparations for the start of the season to hopefully arrive in Australia and be able to fight for the podium.

Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet were both excited to discover their new mount. While they closely followed the progress of the project this winter, they made a point to congratulate the team members at the Enstone and Viry factories for their work. “The team had a very tight schedule to enable us to participate in the first tests of January with the new car,” explained the Spaniard. “We are all eager now to see how it performs on the track.”

Renault F1 President Bernard Rey also wanted to confirm Renault’s commitment to the discipline. « This team is concrete proof of the Renault Group’s capabilities to achieve results and succeed at the highest level. The team will therefore be supported by the entire Group for the challenges it faces this year! »

It was indeed following this first official photo that the R29 was able to make its first laps, and Nelson Piquet thus began Renault’s winter development program. “It’s good to finally be in the R29, despite the gloomy and rainy weather,” explained the Brazilian at the end of the first day of testing in the new single-seater.

« We focused our efforts on mileage, data collection, and the goal today was to learn as much as possible. I hope the remainder of the week will allow us to continue making progress. »

We were also able to discover the new livery of the Renault single-seater, which features the colors of the team’s main partner, ING, as well as those of Total, the new technical partner. “We are very happy to continue our sponsorship and technical partnership with ING Renault F1 Team,” emphasized Christophe de Margerie, CEO, Total.

« This is an important partnership for the Total Group. Renault is a guarantee of excellence and moreover it is an excellent opportunity to use this vector to showcase our identity. »

« For Total, another key advantage, aside from winning races in Formula 1 with a prestigious team, is using our research and testing on the track to develop and deliver new, more efficient products that motorists can benefit from in the most demanding driving conditions. »

Renault will be on track at the Algarve Motor Park until Thursday. Nelson will be on track again tomorrow before handing over the wheel of the R29 to his teammate, Fernando Alonso, for the final two days of testing.

According to a press release from the Renault F1 Team