Renault celebrates 115 years of motorsport competition following the unveil of its RS16 Grand Prix challenger
[Not a valid template]The long wait is over. Renault has finally confirmed that it will make its official return to Formula 1 in 2016 having bought the assets of the former Lotus Team. Competing under the ‘Renault Sport Formula 1 Team’ banner, it will be the French marque’s first official season as a works entry since turning its back on the F1 circus at the end of 2011. The team’s new car, RS16, continues Renault’s nomenclature and is the first of this season’s contenders to be officially unveiled.
Despite the sheer number of toys being flung from Red Bull-sponsored prams as of late, Renault has a considerable F1 heritage to maintain. Though the team would not win its first Grand Prix until 1979 – two years after its debut – the French manufacturer’s work with turbocharged engines defined its generation and overthrew the F1 grid. Some 15 Grand Prix were fall to Renault, and only a blown engine (oh the irony) in the season finale stopped Alain Prost taking the 1983 championship. Back-to-back garlands would later fall Renault’s way in 2005 and 2006 with Fernando Alonso, and as an engine supplier, the French marque missed the top spot only once from 1992 to 1997 in typically dominant fashion.
Clearly Renault are pretty excited by the news too, given the rather surreal video the company has just posted celebrating 115 years of motorsport competition across Formula 1, rallying, sports cars and its 1956 Land Speed Record run with the curvaceous Étoile Filante which hit 307.4kph. At the end, we’re simply asked, ‘ready to follow us again?’ Why yes. Yes we are. Bring on the green flag in Melbourne…
Source – Renault
