2005/2006 F1 News and Testing.

[Flibster]

Finally!!!!

It's been obvious for years that there was no consistency in the way the stewards operated so why it's taken this long to get some action is beyond me.

Yup. All we need is someone competent in charge now.

 

[Flibster]

Renault upbeat about revised aero

Renault are hoping that a new aerodynamic upgrade planned for their R26 at this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix will help them start off their title defence in perfect style.

The team's 2006-challenger has been marked out as one of the pre-season favourites after some impressive performances in winter testing, and the team confirmed on Monday that new developments, tried out for the first time at the recent Barcelona test, should make it even quicker come this weekend.

"We are constantly honing all areas of the aerodynamics," said Renault's technical director Bob Bell. "This (new) package includes a new floor, modifications to the front wing and nose, modified suspension components and the addition of two small chassis winglets. Altogether, that represents several tenths in laptime."

Bell said that Renault were planning to push the development programme for their R26 much harder than they did last season - which will likely result in new parts coming on board for each race.

"We intend to push even harder than we did for the R25, and we are gearing up for that. In concrete terms, that means developments at every race. Furthermore, we will be working with more capacity than last year.

"Our wind tunnel is now operating 24 hours a day, and we have made other changes to streamline our working methods. All of that means we will be able to add performance to the car even faster this year."

Despite his optimism about the work on the R26, Bell has drawn short of admitting that Renault are the favourites for Bahrain.

"Looking at the winter testing times, and especially the long runs, then it's obvious that Renault, Honda and McLaren are right up there at the front," he said.

"I am sure come Bahrain, Ferrari will be much more competitive than last year. It is hard to judge exactly how much at the moment, but you can never write them off. I think Toyota will also move further along, and show themselves to be more competitive."

 

[Flibster]

Erp - just clicked on the wrong bit of the thread - and foudn that this is my 1003rd post in here...

'My goal is to repeat the title' - Alonso

Fernando Alonso, the Spanish driver of the Mild Seven Renault F1 Team and youngest Formula One Champion ever, goes to Bahrain with number 1 on his car, for the first time. How’s he feeling ahead of the race weekend?

Interview with Fernando Alonso
Fernando, what are your feelings as you approach the first race?
"I am happy. The team has done a good job with the car, the R26 seems very competitive, and we are ready to go to the first race to try and score a lot of points."

Have you been pleased with how winter testing has gone?
"Yes, I think we have done what we needed to. The car is ready to race: it has done a lot of laps, on all types of circuits and conditions. Now is the time to measure ourselves against the others in the first race. We have done the maximum possible, so I am relaxed going into the season."

What has the change to V8 engines been like for you?
"In terms of driving, I haven’t found any differences. I haven’t changed my style at all to adapt, because I am still trying to drive right on the limit."

And what is your opinion of the new Renault V8?
"I think the team at Viry has done a fantastic job. We started running on the track quite late with the V8, in mid-January, but we did it with an engine that was already capable of doing race distances. It was reliable, with good performance. There have been different philosophies about how to develop the V8, and Renault’s has worked well."

The tyre regulations have also changed for 2006. How have Michelin responded?
"Michelin has done a very good job developing the tyres for the new rules. I think they were under pressure when the rules changed, because people thought that they were not so competitive in 2004. But we are there. We have a super tyre now, it doesn’t matter whether the temperatures are high or low. I think we have good performance, and good consistency. I am confident that the Michelin will still be the best tyre in Formula 1 this year."

There will also be a new qualifying format to tackle in Bahrain. What are your thoughts about it?
"For the drivers, it will not change too much. I think the challenge is more for the teams and engineers, finding the right strategy and working very quickly. But last year, we had one opportunity for a quick lap; now, we have at least three occasions when we have to set a lap time. The drivers always have to do the maximum though, and there will be only one lap in each part of the session when the car is in perfect conditions. So it hasn’t really altered very much for our job."

Can you tell us a little about the challenges of the circuit in Bahrain?
"It is a unique circuit, because a lot of sand blows onto the surface from outside the circuit. This makes the feeling and driving style quite complex, because as you go into each corner, you don’t know what the conditions are like or how much grip you have. The high temperatures also make life difficult for the engineers with the cooling of the car. I think there are still some unknowns for the first race."

Are you ready to go racing again after a four month break?
"Personally, yes. After a whole winter off, I want to see the people in the grandstands, and feel the emotion of Formula 1 again. But also because Renault are the world champions, and the whole team is very motivated because of this."

Going into the first race, is there more pressure on you because you are world champion?
"I don’t think there is more pressure, but I am very proud to have number 1 on the car. It is the maximum you can achieve in all motorsport, one of the moments you dream about all of your career. I am excited to arrive in Bahrain with number 1 on the car, and I will be trying to enjoy this year to the maximum."

Who will be the favourites for the opening race?
"I think Renault are definitely up there. Honda, Ferrari, McLaren and Renault have been the four big teams in winter testing, and now we must check in the opening races. For sure, Renault are the ones to beat because we are the world champions, and I am confident we have done a good job."

Finally, do you think you can win the world championship again this year?
"Well, I want to! It is very difficult to win a championship, and you need a lot of things around you to have the chance. Last year, I started the season dreaming of maybe winning one race and getting regular podiums, but we won the title. In 2006, I know we have a competitive car in the R26, so my only goal is to repeat the title."

 

[Flibster]

Eddie Irvine Admits Plan to Start F1 Team

Former Formula 1 driver Eddie Irvine has confirmed the longtime rumors that he plans on starting a new F1 team, with backing from partner Russian vodka magnate Roustam Tariko.

Irvine, who retired from driving after the 2002 season, was linked to a possible purchase of Jordan/Midland last year, itself owned by another Russian billionaire, Midland's Alex Shnaider.

With the new lower-cost regulation set to debut in '08, however, the Irishman believes he can enter the sport without buying a currently existing squad.

"We are looking at starting a team from scratch as there are no teams for sale at the minute," Irvine told the Irish Independent newspaper.

"Roustam wants to do it, we've got the money and I think it is an opportunity. Roustam needs the branding that F1 can bring him. He wants a Russian team and he wants to take his brand and turn them into world brands. It's not going to be easy. It is going to be very, very difficult. But if I go back into F1 I am going to be married to it for a long time. It is definitely a challenge I want to go with."

The Roustam-Tariko bid sets up a dispute for the last available spots in the sport's grid - the FIA has limited F1 participation to 12 teams - as David Richards' Prodrive outfit and Japanese financial conglomerate Direxiv have also admitted plans to join F1.

 

[Flibster]

Now things start to get interesting - assuming that this does happen we end up with 22 of the possible 24 spots taken so as suggested in the previous post there's going to be a fight for the last spot. That is, of course, assuming that Renault don't pull out and Midland aren't available for sale. However if someone does take the final place the value of existing teams will increase as purchase then becomes the only access to the club.

Not to mention with both Prodrive and Irvine looking to get into F1 in 2008 - and space for only 1 team...

Would be nice to see 35 cars pre-qualifying and then 26 on the grid but they don't want that.

Also - with Ferrari declaring themselves a privateer - does that mean they get no say in the future of the sport? Or is the Toad going to start claiming that they're now a manafacturer so they can help choose who's on the board?

Although the fact that Ferrari are able to Veto any potential rule change they don't like does play into their favor...

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

Murray Walker makes F1 comeback with Honda

He’s back! After a four year absence from the Formula One Paddock, Murray Walker is making a comeback with the Honda Racing F1 Team. The lure of F1 has finally proved too much for the broadcasting legend, who hung up his microphone for the last time in 2001 when he retired from the ITV-F1 commentary team.

Occasional visits to the Paddock reminded him what he was missing and after a well-deserved but brief retirement, he decided he couldn’t resist the draw of what promises to be the most exciting F1 season in years.

For 2006, the Honda Racing F1 Team asked 82 year old Murray if he would like to join the team and make a return to the sport he adores in the unique role of team ambassador. As a fully integrated member of the team, he will provide Honda’s VIP guests with an insight into the team’s progress and entertain them with his inimitable brand of F1 commentary. The much loved star will attend half of the season’s 18 Grands Prix and will make his debut in Honda Racing F1 Team colours when the F1 circus returns to Europe in April.

Commenting on his return to the F1 Paddock, Murray Walker said: ”I’m naturally delighted to be back because I’ve missed the fabulous sport of Formula One that I love so much, and what better way to be doing so than with the Honda Racing F1 Team. Their prospects for 2006 are looking very bright indeed, which is great news for their exciting driver line-up of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello.”

Nick Fry, Chief Executive Officer of the Honda Racing F1 Team, commented: “We are absolutely thrilled to have Murray on board for the 2006 season. His retirement four years ago was a tremendous loss to F1 and he remains one of the best-loved characters in sport. His unfailing energy and enthusiasm is legendary worldwide and we are delighted to welcome him back to the Paddock. 2006 looks set to be a very exciting season for the Honda Racing F1 Team on and off the race track. Our marketing focus will be developing the team as a sports and entertainment brand and Murray will make an important contribution to that. If our testing promise translates to the race track as well as we expect it to, then our guests are in for a treat with Murray’s high-octane commentary.”

Fabulous! Will be great to see him back again.

Sadly means I'm going to have to try and wangle a race invite with Honda I think.

 

[Flibster]

A new sponsor for McLaren?

When McLaren unveiled its 2006 'bling' livery recently, there was much speculation as to the amount of red on the car.

With the team having lured Vodafone from Ferrari for a multi-year partnership starting in 2007, there had been speculation that a deal might be done whereby the mobile telecomms giant ended its Italian contract a year ahead of schedule and jump ship to McLaren with immediate effect, but this was not to be.

The red and silver had people confused.

This is now talk of a possible one-year sponsorship deal the Woking team has secured with Emirates Airlines, which, of course, has red as its corporate colour.

If our sources are correct, the deal will be announced later this week, ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Previously, Emirates Airlines has shunned motorsport, in favour of other sports, with soccer being a favourite, indeed the Dubai airline has naming rights to the new Arsenal stadium.

Having previously avoided motorsport, it's understood that the airline was impressed with its involvement in the inaugural A1 GP series, which has directly led, apparently, to the McLaren deal.

 

[Flibster]

Iberian deal for Minardi F1X2 programme

It has been announced that the Minardi F1X2 Team and Best Lap F1 Events have entered into a formal agreement, which will see the Valencia-based company act as exclusive agent for the F1X2 Team in the Spanish and Portuguese markets. The arrangement was revealed during a special media presentation on Monday evening at the stunning Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias in Valencia.

Best Lap F1 Events, which was formed last year by Enrique Leon, Carlos Molla and former Minardi driver, Marc Gene, plans to stage a series of F1X2 events in Spain and Portugal, and will look after all marketing, sales, organisational and operational aspects of the programmes within those countries. The arrangement takes effect immediately, with collaborative agreements already in place with the Valencia and Barcelona circuits.

"In Best Lap F1 Events, we have a team of professionals with a wide range of motorsport experience, and our aim is to make it possible for as many people as possible to experience the same sensations as those of us who are lucky enough to drive Formula One cars," comments Marc Gene. "We're certain that with this programme we will be able to give Formula One fans an absolutely unforgettable day."

Minardi F1x2 Team owner, Paul Stoddart, says, "Marc, Carlos and Enrique approached us last year regarding the possibility of setting up an exclusive arrangement to represent the two-seater programme in the Spanish and Portuguese markets. With their in-depth understanding of motorsport and undoubted business acumen, plus Marc's connections with Minardi, it just seemed like a natural fit between Best Lap F1 Events and the F1X2 Team. We're extremely pleased, and look forward to introducing new passengers to the thrill of Formula One performance that our unique fleet of eight two-seaters is able to offer."

 

[Flibster]

If anyone can tell me what font Honda use for their logo, or Red Bull use for the racing section of their logo...

It'd save me having to go through the library of 150'000 fonts at work...

Far far far too many...

Simon/~Flibster

[edit]
Found one for Red Bull now - was about 25'000 in - not 100 accurate but will do nicely for the time being.

Just got Toro Rosso, Midland, Super Aguri and Honda left to do now....
[/edit]

 

[Flibster]

Super Aguri excited before F1 debut

Super Aguri Formula 1 joins the elite group of teams in ‘the pinnacle of motorsport’ when it arrives for its first FIA Formula One Grand Prix in the Kingdom of Bahrain this week. It has taken only four months for Team Principal Aguri Suzuki to build an entirely new Formula One team - a feat that many doubted could ever be achieved.

The team conducted its only three-day test of the winter period in Barcelona last month where it successfully completed its systems programme and compound selection of Bridgestone tyres for Bahrain. Although bad weather hampered running during the team’s shakedown of the SA05 car at Silverstone last week, the 2006 aerodynamics package showed encouraging results. Both Takuma Sato and Yuji Ide have tested the SA05, albeit with very limited track time. The team has therefore completed only 598.2 kilometres during testing, with the shakedown of the SA05 race cars contributing a mere 30.3 kilometres. Despite this fact, the team is united in its pride and is looking forward to the challenge that lies before them.

Takuma Sato:
“I am very excited to be going to Bahrain with a brand new team. They have done a great job to ensure that we made it to the first race - and that is a fantastic achievement. We shook down the car with our 2006 aero package last week and although we did not get to do much running due to bad weather, the car worked well immediately. “It will feel very different starting the season in Bahrain. The circuit in Sakhir provides an exciting race, but it is demanding on the car, especially on the brakes due to the number of low-speed corners and the heat. We know that it will be a difficult start for what will be a very challenging year, but we are very much looking forward to it.”

Yuji Ide:
“I have been studying race simulations to learn the Bahrain circuit and the braking for the first corner looks challenging! I have never visited Bahrain, so I am excited to go. I am expecting tough conditions as it is my first F1 race but also because of the hot weather. I have driven in the heat at Sepang in Malaysia for Formula Nippon, but I know that dry heat will be very different. Whenever I race in hot conditions I am very careful to monitor my liquid intake and take care of what I am drinking for my re-hydration. The anticipation of my first Formula One race is nearly over and I am very excited about it.”

Aguri Suzuki, Team Principal:

“The first race of the 2006 F1 season is a milestone for Super Aguri Formula 1. It is an amazing achievement that we have put together an F1 team in only four months and I am very proud of everyone involved. As a new team we have many personnel who are new to Formula One and we are all very much looking forward to arriving in Bahrain. We know that we will experience very hot weather and high track temperatures, so a top priority will be looking after our tyres during the race. At our test in Barcelona we finalised with Bridgestone our tyre choice for Bahrain and the Honda engine has been running well. We know that we have a challenging year ahead, but we are determined and have great team spirit which we hope you will see this weekend.”

 

[Flibster]

Mercedes - engine is reliable

Mercedes motorsport vice president Norbert Haug has shrugged off concerns that his company's V8 engine may not be entirely reliable as F1 gears up for a very exciting first round of the new season in hot and sandy Bahrain.

"The start with the new MP4-21 at Barcelona on 23rd January was not trouble free and in the beginning we were not where we wanted," Haug admitted. "However, in the following five and a half weeks or about 40 days until the final test at Valencia on 1 March, our team showed what it's capable of, be it chassis or engine wise."

"During 28 test days, Kimi, Juan Pablo and Pedro covered a total of 8,692 kilometres which is on average one Grand Prix distance per day and therefore equates to a total of 28 Grand Prix distances in preparation for the first races," he added. "The lap time improved continuously throughout the tests and the long runs were OK compared to the fastest."

"Several times, our new V8 engine stood the strain of two race weekends and up to 50 percent more, on the circuits of Barcelona and Valencia as well as on the dynos at Brixworth and Stuttgart," Haug insisted.

 

[Flibster]

Ray-Ban extends partnership with Honda Racing F1 Team

The Honda Racing F1 Team is pleased to announce the continuation of its partnership with the world’s leading sunglasses and optical eyewear brand, Ray-Ban, for the 2006 season.


The Ray-Ban brand, which first entered Formula One with the team in July 2004 and operates in more than 100 countries across the globe, is synonymous with style, design, quality and distinction.

Ray-Ban’s partnership with the team has proved to be a powerful medium for promoting the brand’s iconic identity. For 2006, the distinctive Ray-Ban signature will continue to appear on the cockpit sides of the Honda Racing F1 Team’s RA106 race car throughout the season, along with a new prominent position on the helmet visors of race drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, and third driver Anthony Davidson.

All the eyewear models in the Ray-Ban collection show the brand’s careful attention to styling and design. For the 2006 season, Honda Racing F1 Team members will be wearing the Ray-Ban 4075 sunglasses model from its new Spring and Summer 2006 sun collection, which have a sporty, wrap-around design which is well-suited to the F1 environment.

Nick Fry, Chief Executive Officer of the Honda Racing F1 Team, commented: “We are delighted to confirm the continuation of our partnership with Ray-Ban at the start of a very promising season for our team. The Honda Racing F1 Team continues to provide a valuable platform for the Ray-Ban brand by enabling it to reach the global F1 audience and benefit from the appeal of our exciting new driver line-up of Jenson and Rubens, who are the perfect fit for Ray-Ban’s marketing programme.

Antonio Miyakawa, Executive Vice President Wholesale & Marketing of Luxottica Group, said: “We are thrilled to announce that Ray-Ban has just renewed its partnership with the Honda Racing F1 Team for the 2006 season. Winners choose winners and Ray-Ban is a winner all the way as its history proves. Honda also has a tremendous winning pedigree in many different motorsports and is totally committed to rediscovering its winning ways in Formula One. We are looking forward to starting the new season together with our partners at Honda Racing F1 Team.”

 

[Flibster]

Fears over Toro Rosso 'parentage'?

A rather bizarre joint press release from Red Bull and Toro Rosso, issued at the weekend, reveals that neither team will be having a launch - as such - this week.

Instead; "drivers and personnel from both teams will be available to answer questions from the media in the paddock at the Sakhir circuit on Thursday", while the liveries for both teams will be unveiled on Thursday evening, the eve of the first official practice session of the 2006 Formula One world Championship season.

"No interviews will be during this event," states the press release.

Scott Speed has already warned that the Toro Rosso livery will be "different".

However, this is not something that can be said about the car, for to all intents and purposes it is the Red Bull RBR1 with a few bits added on.

Thus far, the legality of the Scuderia Toro Rosso package has focussed on the engine, with the Italian-based team being the only outfit on the 2006 grid running a V10 powerplant. This, of course, goes back to an agreement reached in 2005, when, as Minardi, the team simply didn't have the finance to switch to a V8 engine.

With the agreement of its rivals, Minardi was given special dispensation to run with the Cosworth V10 this season, providing that the FIA can ensure that the playing field is levelled, and that the unit doesn't enjoy a power advantage over its V8 rivals.

This of course came before the Italian team was bought by Red Bull, a company which has no such financial problems.

Although the FIA believes that it has come up with technical restrictions which will restore the status-quo, it is ready to act should the Toro Rosso appear to have an advantage.

Pre-season, several teams, most notably Toyota and Midland have expressed their unease, and already some are predicting that we could see teams lodge protests should the Toro Rosso appear to punch above its weight.

However, little has been said of the STR1 chassis, other than Max Mosley recently telling journalists that it was perfectly legal.

The fact is however, that the car is a 'tarted-up' RBR1, and any protests that are lodged in the coming weeks will have more to do with its parentage than the legality of the powerplant in the back.

The STR1 is the RBR1 and no amount of crazy hype or zany liveries will alter the fact.

 

[Flibster]

^^^
Meow....
Saucer of milk - table 2...

-----

Just finishing off creating the artwork for the 1st race thread of the year...

And the award for the laziest logo in F1 goes to....






.....BMW Sauber F1


Their name - in Ariel and the BMW badge...wow...that took all of oooh..2 mins to create...

On the plus side it only took 2 mins to create *as opposed to Super Aguri and Honda Racing*

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

Cool - Will do.

All I need to do now is finish off Midland F1's Logo and Super Aguri's Logo and then the thread can start.

Although - tempted to do a preview in here before the main thread so I can get suggestions.

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

Quick vote chaps...

Which Midland F1 logo looks the best? One is close to the original - others are taken from other images of carbon I've got lying around...

 

[Flibster]

Team HQ
Based in: Viry-Chatillon
Founded: 1898 (active 1977-1985, 2001-...)

Renault SPort
Whiteways Technical Centre
Enstone
Chipping Norton
Oxfordshire
OX7 4EE

Tel: 01608 678000
Fax: 01608 678800

Website: www.renaultf1.com

Team Structure

President Renault F1 Team: Patrick Faure

Managing Director, Renault F1 UK: Flavio Briatore
Deputy Managing Director, Renault F1 France : Bernard Dudot
Chassis Technical Director: Bob Bell
Deputy Managing Director (Engine): Rob White
Deputy Managing Director (Support Operations): André Lainé

Executive Director of Engineering: Pat Symonds
Head of Engine Operations: Denis Chevrier
Chief Designer: Tim Densham
RS26 Project Manager: Léon Taillieu

Team Biography
The 'all new' Renault Formula One team was born from the purchase of Benetton in 2000, and a combined effort in the series in 2001. The Regie, however, has its own proud grand prix tradition.

The Renault name was among the pioneers of the sport, contesting the Paris-Rouen and other 'inter-city' trials that were classed as the races of the 19th Century. It wasn't until 1902, and the Paris-Vienna section of the Gordon Bennett Trophy that the company came home in front, however.

Despite one of the two Renault brothers, driver and designer Marcel, dying young and the other, Louis, quitting the sport as a result, the name lived on and set the tradition for Renault to keep making comebacks.

Sporadic success followed in the first decade of the new century, but Renault would gradually fade from the scene during the course of two world wars, before making another return in 1977 - some 69 years after its last appearance.

The yellow paintwork that is now associated with the marque was born here, with a single entry for Jean-Pierre Jabouille debuting at Silverstone. The company's re-appearance was all the more notable because of the powerplant in the back of the RS01, however, for the turbo-charged era of F1 was about to arrive.

Intially derided by its rivals, Renault stuck to its guns, developing the phenomenally-powerful unit to overcome the 'lag' that characterised the early years and become the benchmark for F1 - another Renault trademark in future years.

That 1977 season brought nothing but misery, and Renault took over a year to reach the chequered flag, let alone score a point. Distracted by its other desire - to win Le Mans - it was not until 1979 that the company really made its mark on the grand prix scene.

Now running a two-car RS10 operation, with Rene Arnoux partnering Jabouille, the team finally notched its first win in a thrilling French GP at Dijon. Although Jabouille's win was somewhat overshadowed by 'that' battle between Arnoux and Gilles Villeneuve, the turbo point had been proved, and several others soon began to follow the trend.

No further wins followed in 1979, but six pole positions testified to the power of the engine, before 1980's RS20 took three wins.

The 1981 version, in the hands of Arnoux and promising youngster Alain Prost, continued the success, but faced growing competition from the likes of Ferrari, Alfa, Porsche, Honda and BMW. Renault's management structure also made it slow to respond to changes in the sport, and it had to watch as Nelson Piquet, Brabham and BMW took the first world championship for a turbo-charged car.

In spite of 15 wins since its debut, the cost of the programme eventually became to much for Renault bosses, and the team was abandoned at the end of 1985. Its engines lived on, however, with Ligier, Tyrrell and, most successfully, Lotus, which took another prodigy - Ayrton Senna - to his first win, at Estoril in 1985.

A two-year break from F1 followed, but Renault could not stay away for long. With turbos now on the verge of being banned, the company announced its intention to return - with a normally-aspirated V10.

Again, F1 laughed at the notion of trying something new, but, again, Renault's tenacity proved it right.

Learning years with Williams in 1989, '90 and '91 produced trophies and tension in equal measure as the money issue was again debated back in Paris, but eventually led to Nigel Mansell's glorious championship campaign in 1992.

The burly Brit took nine wins that year - equalling the total achieved in tandem with Thierry Boutsen and Riccardo Patrese in previous seasons - while Patrese took advantage of his team leader's generosity to add a tenth for the Williams FW14B and the RS3 and RS4 engines.

That season paved the way for what would become the Renault era, as championships followed in 1993 for Mansell's successor, former Renault man Prost, Michael Schumacher (with Benetton) in 1995, and both Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve with Williams in '96 and '97. Despite Schumacher snatching the drivers' crown for Ford in '94, Renault also made it six constructors' title from six years.

With 75 race wins, 85 poles, 105 podium finishes, 250 podium visits and 2016 points, however, Renault decided that it was time for another sojourn, although the Mecachrome and Supertec names ensured that its technology lived on for several more years...

The Benetton team was formed following the takeover of the existing Toleman outfit in 1986. Benetton had previously sponsored several teams in Formula One - including Tyrrell, Alfa Romeo and Toleman - before deciding it would benefit greatly from running its own team.

The first Benetton-badged cars benefited from BMW turbo engines, allowing them to feature at the front of both qualifying and races. Teo Fabi took pole position for the Austrian and Italian races, but it was his young team-mate Gerhard Berger who gave Benetton its maiden win, coming home first in the Mexican GP.

The team continued to pick up the occasional win against the might of Williams, McLaren and Ferrari through the late 80s and early 90s. Notably, Benetton won consecutive Japanese GPs, first when Ayrton Senna was disqualified for cutting across the chicane and then, in 1990, when Senna and Prost tangled at the first corner.

The start of the change in Benetton's fortunes came with the appointment of Tom Walkinshaw and Flavio Briatore in 1989. An inspired Nelson Piquet and promising rookie Michael Schumacher - poached from Jordan mid-season - capitalised on the team's recent Constructors' championship finishes to establish Benetton as a regular member of the 'big four' in 1991.

Schumacher took his first win at Spa-Francorchamps in 1992, before going on to win the team's first drivers' titles in 1994 and 1995. The latter coincided with Benetton's only Constructors' championship crown, as Schumacher and team-mate Johnny Herbert racked up 11 wins between them.

Schumacher left in 1996 to join Ferrari, but Benetton expected to maintain its winning tradition by signing Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger from the Italian team. Sadly neither could take victory that season, although Berger did win in Germany in 1997.

Both drivers left the team at the end of their second year - Alesi to move to Sauber and Berger to retire - along with several members of the design team. Benetton - now headed by Prodrive rally boss David Richards - signed two young drivers in their place and hoped to return to the front with a car designed by former Simtek man Nick Wirth. Giancarlo Fisichella and Alex Wurz both impressed in the first half of the year - the latter battling mightily with Michael Schumacher in Monaco - but the challenge for wins fell apart later on.

The driver pairing remained untouched for 1999, but team boss Richards left after a short tenure of the position. The reasons behind his departure varied according to source, but he was replaced by the young - for F1 - Rocco Benetton. The B199 chassis featured several radical innovations as the team strove to regain its position in the top four, but only served to confuse both team and drivers as a difficult year wore on.

Little changed on the surface over the winter of 1999-2000, with Fisichella and Wurz remaining despite the problems of the previous season, and both Benetton and technical director Pat Symonds also staying put. Designer Nick Wirth and team boss Joan Villadelprat both departed, however, with former Honda man Tim Densham arriving in place of the former and helping to create a much simpler B200.

However simple was not the answer the team needed and, once again, Benetton started strongly only to tail off dramatically. Fisichella came home second in Brazil, and third at Monaco and Canada, but did not score a point after Montreal, while Wurz' only points of a disastrous year came with a fifth place at Monza.

For 2001 Wurz was replaced by Jenson Button but, despite speculation that Fisichella would have a real job to maintain his status as team leader, the Roman managed it quite easily. Whether Button was distracted by his new lifestyle remains open to question, but it was Fisi who responded better to the problematic B201.

In contrast to previous years, Benetton started badly and got better in 2001. Having tied up the sale of its operation to Renault for 2002, the team employed the Regie's radical wide-angle 111-degree V10 in the back of its new car, but both components failed to set the world alight until a re-think mid-season. Even a switch to Michelin tyres could not help the team until the overhaul, and it often found itself in the company of Arrows, Prost and Minardi at the back of the grid.

With Button's job on the line, and that of technical director Mike Gascoyne also under threat, the team worked hard to drag itself out of the mire. The Briton overcame a shoulder problem to finally find some semblance of the pace he had shown at Williams in 2000, and Fisichella built on the handling of the car to take advantage of the engine upgrades produced by Renault from Magny-Cours onwards.

The second half of the season saw the team add to Fisi's single, and fortunate, point from Brazil, by taking two top-six finishes in Germany, before Fisichella delivered a remarkable podium in Belgium. The team eventually finished the year seventh overall with ten points.

For 2002, Renault returned to Formula One full-time, although the R202 beared the legacy of the Benetton years by combining Regie yellow with the pale blue of principal backer Mild Seven.

Button, despite a lot of speculation, stayed on board, but Fisichella went, returning to Jordan in a swap deal for Jarno Trulli. The team also landed Fernando Alonso, so promising at Minardi in 2001, as test driver, courtesy of his links with team boss Flavio Briatore.

Renault started their first season back well, and in the opening first four races scored points on three occasions - a fourth place in Brazil and Malaysia and a fifth in Italy at the San Marino GP.

However the performance of the R202 soon started to tail off, and while at the season start, their was talk the team might overhaul McLaren for third in the Constructors', by the Japanese GP, such hopes looked ridiculous. Fourth though wasn't bad and 23 points was a big improvement on 2001.

In 2003 Briatore dispensed with the services of Button, promoting test driver Alonso to a race role alongside Trulli. The team also signed two new test drivers, namely Franck Montagny and 2002 Toyota driver, Allan McNish.

Furthermore Renault were one of only four teams - the others being Jaguar, Jordan and Minardi - to take advantage of the new testing rules and thus opted for extra running on a Friday prior to a GP, in exchange for limiting testing outside this to just 10 days between March and October. The move proved a good one, allowing them more track time and therefore at many circuits an added advantage.

To say the year was successful, would be stating the obvious, by the end of the season, talk of a 'big three' had been replaced by a 'big four', Renault striving forward easily securing fourth in the Constructors' and on occasions showing up Ferrari, McLaren and Williams.

The season yielded 88 points in total, the main highlight coming in Hungary, when Alonso took the teams first win since their official F1 return. Add to this four more podiums and a further 16 points scoring positions and you can see why the year was considered a success. Two pole positions were just the icing on the cake!

2004 though was not so jolly, and before the season started, there were two significant changes behind the scenes.

Most noticeably technical director, Mike Gascoyne left the team to join rivals Toyota.

The outfit was also forced to redesign their V10 engine - binning the radically-wide 110-degree V-angle, due to new regulations which meant an engine must last an entire weekend. They therefore opted for a more conventional angle, the latest creation based on the old Supertec, hence the exit of Jean-Jacques His in May 2003, the man who championed the 110-degree V-angle.

They overcame these set backs though and ended up scoring points in every race by four, and although they lost out to BAR, towards the end of the season for second in the constructors', they still finished third on 105 points, ahead of both Williams and McLaren.

Trulli's win at the Monaco Grand Prix - along with pole - was undoubtedly the high, it was a shame therefore that boss, Briatore, fell out with him mid-season, leaving to his exit prior to the Chinese Grand Prix, when Jacques Villeneuve was brought in for the final three races to partner Alonso.

In 2005 Alonso was partnered by Giancarlo Fisichella, who returned to the squad, after leaving in 2001 [when it was still known as Benetton].

The year started strongly when Fisichella won the Australian Grand Prix from pole, while Alonso was third. After that their season just went from strength to strength, and while admittedly Fisichella never won again and seemed to be dogged by bad luck, Alonso went on to win seven more races for the Regie, as well as grabbing an addition eight podiums.

Renault ended the season with both titles secured, Alonso taking the drivers' at the Brazilian GP, while the team secured the constructors' at the final race, ending the season with 191 points, eight more than McLaren, who took second. Furthermore while McLaren pushed Renault hard at times and many reckoned the R25 was not as quick as the MP4-20, Renault definitely better balanced reliability and speed and - therefore deservedly took the titles.

This season Renault will again have Alonso and Fisichella, however the team was dealt something of a major blow even before the year began, when their number one driver, Alonso agreed a deal to join McLaren in 2007 - something that was announced in December '05.

Despite this though initial testing with the new R26 looks positive and now the team must defend their position at the top of the sport. Can they do it? That's the big question.

Statistics - Prior to 2006 Season
Drivers' Titles: 1
Constructors' Titles: 1
Seasons in F1: 13
Grand Prix: 192
Wins: 25
Points: 719
Poles: 43
Fastest Laps: 22

Best result in 2005: 1st - Alonso (7 times) Fisichella (1 time)
Best qualifying 2005: Pole - Alonso (6 times) Fisichella (1 time)
Worst qualifying 2005: 16th - Alonso (Japan)
2005 Average grid position: Alonso (4.05) Fisichella (5.42)
2005: Alonso out-qualified Fisichella 14 times
2005: Fisichella out-qualified Alonso 5 times
2005: Completed: 1976 out of 2214 laps (89.25%)
2005: Finished 36 times from 30 starts (83.33%)

R26 Technical Specifications
Chassis: Moulded carbon fibre and aluminium honeycomb composite monocoque, manufactured by the Renault F1 Team and designed for maximum strength and stiffness with minimum weight. Engine installed as a fully-stressed member.
Front suspension: Carbon fibre top and bottom wishbones operate an inboard rocker via a pushrod system. This is connected to a torsion bar and damper units which are mounted at the front of the monocoque
Rear suspension: Carbon fibre top and bottom wishbones operating vertically-mounted torsion bars and horizontally-mounted damper units mounted on the top of the gearbox casing.
Transmission: Seven-speed semi-automatic titanium gearbox with one reverse gear.
Fuel system: Kevlar-reinforced rubber fuel cell by ATL.
Cooling system: Separate oil and water radiators located in the car's sidepods and cooled using airflow from the car's forward motion
Electrical: Integrated Step 11 chassis/engine electronics and software co-developed by Renault F1 Team and Magneti Marelli.
Braking system: Carbon discs and pads (Hitco); calipers by AP Racing
Cockpit: Removable driver’s seat made of anatomically formed carbon composite, with six-point harness seat belt. Steering wheel integrates gear change and clutch paddles.

Dimensions
Front track: 1450 mm
Rear track: 1400 mm
Wheelbase: 3100 mm
Overall length: 4800 mm
Overall height: 950 mm
Overall width: 1800 mm
Overall weight: 605 kg, with driver, camera and ballast.

Renault RS 26
Capacity: 2400 cc
Architecture: 90° V8
Weight: 95 kg
Spark plugs: Champion
ECU: Magneti Marelli Step 11
Fuel: Elf
Oil: Elf
Battery: Renault F1 Team

Optimum integration in the R26 chassis for improved stiffness and packaging.
Reliability of more than 1200 km for life cycle of two race weekends

 

[Flibster]

Bit more news pre-season...

Jordan: GPMA selfish and greedy

Former team owner Eddie Jordan has hit out at Formula One's manufacturers, branding them as greedy and selfish.

Renault, Honda, Toyota, McLaren-Mercedes and BMW-Sauber are still to commit to Formula One beyond 2007 as they seek a better deal with Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

The carmakers, through their GPMA company, have threatened to create a breakaway championship if their demands are not met. A solution, however, seems to be close after Ecclestone said this week a new deal was almost imminent.

Jordan, who was forced to sell his Formula One team to Midland last year, says the manufacturers are not thinking about what's good for the sport.

"The manufacturer teams have really lost it and left me disappointed," Jordan told The Daily Express in an interview.

"They have had no consideration or regard for the individual teams. They have come into a championship which was created and run by private teams and with their cash have totally abused it.

"At the moment they are throwing away $500m in testing behind closed doors. They need to get a grip on this immediately. It is impossible to consider a team without the right budget could win a race. It is not so long ago that a private team could win - Jordan in 1998 - but those days have gone.

"We have seen Alex Shnaider and Dietrich Mateschitz, who are successful and reputable businessmen enter F1, but can even they succeed?

"Now the manufacturer teams go there, write down what the requests are, take it away for corporate discussion about how it suits them. No one thinks of the good of the sport. What they are doing just now is nothing short of madness, it's greedy and selfish," Jordan added.

"The manufacturers will go, it's in their marketing strategy, and what will be left? I applaud Ferrari, who have a long, hard continuous involvement. Anything they get they deserve.

"But I am aggrieved that no young person can afford to get in as I did. If the lunatics can be controlled I would have every reason to come back and look at F1."

Jordan also said that the manufacturers should focus on improving the show for the fans, instead of spending their time thinking of how to get more money.

"No one sees a better race, nobody. The guy in the stand doesn't see anymore excitement," the Irishman added. "If anything it is worse because of the sophisticated aerodynamics they work on in testing which makes overtaking impossible.

"Fans want an exciting race and half the time they are not getting it. I say 'Guys get real and be responsible'. This is now the biggest budget championship. It is a joke."

And although Jordan admits he loved being a Formula One team boss, he claims he is not missing being around in the paddock.

"I loved being in it and I'm loving life being out of it, but I have to say in the current environment I don't miss it," he said.

"I know the circumstances have changed so dramatically so much in the last few years that I would not have been able to continue, never mind compete."

 

[Flibster]

Superb preview of Renault F1 - keep them coming

Unfortunately - I've found more info so I'm re-writing at the moment.
The shortest one is Super Aguri - surprise that...

Any comments on the Midland F1 logo - kind of like no2 and no4 myself...same with the other half.

Odd though - no3 is the official background.

 

[Flibster]

Just got emailed from formula1.com that their new text messaging system is up:

http://www.formula1.com/mobile_email/mobile/

£3.75 for single race updates doesn't sound too bad if you're not able to follow Flibsters excellent threads

Just been reading about that myself...£70 for the whole season though *gulp*

I'll stick with my mates info ta.

Simon/~Flibster