Lotus and Red Bull to use Renault power next season
After weeks of speculation, Renault announced on Friday that they will supply Lotus with engines next season and also confirmed a two-year extension to their deal with Red Bull.
"Renault is delighted to announce an expanded agreement with Red Bull Racing and the arrival of a new customer,” said Bernard Rey, president of Renault Sport. “These new agreements mean that Renault engines will power three teams next year - in simple terms, 25 percent of the cars on the grid. We remain firm believers in the benefits of our successful involvement in F1: it positions Renault as a technological leader, and boosts awareness of the brand across the globe."
For Lotus, the agreement with Renault follows their decision to terminate their supply deal with current provider Cosworth two years early.
“Today’s announcement is the latest confirmation of how far this team wants to go in Formula One,” said Lotus’s chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne. “Having worked with Renault before I know exactly what they will bring to our team and I am delighted that they will be playing an integral role in the next chapter of our story.
“The engine itself gives our designers, engineers and drivers an excellent platform to work with - it is very drivable, has good reliability and comes with a track support team who have a wealth of experience and knowledge. We are all looking forward to working with Renault and are very excited about the future for our partnership and our team.”
Lotus have already revealed that Red Bull Technology will supply the team with gearboxes and hydraulic systems from 2011.
“I am absolutely delighted that we can now officially talk about the partnership with Renault,” said Lotus team principal Tony Fernandes. “There has obviously been a great deal of speculation about which engine will be powering our cars from 2011 and now the announcement has been made I think everyone can see just how ambitious we really are. The combination of the Renault engine and the Red Bull Technology gearbox and hydraulics gives our design and aero teams a successful, tried and tested platform to work with for next year’s car.
“2010 has been all about building up our team from scratch and in just one year we have laid the foundations for many exciting seasons to come and the partnership with Renault will dramatically accelerate our development plans, both on and off track. That is an important point - we have started a partnership with Renault and, much like taking on experienced drivers in our first year, we will be working with people who know how to win and who will help push us even further forward towards the front of the grid. We are realistic - we know what needs to be done to be challenging for ultimate honours in Formula One and this partnership will play a very important role in helping us push ahead.”
Lotus CEO Riad Asmat added: “This is a very big day for everyone in our team, in Malaysia and in the UK. Just over a year ago there were four people in an empty factory, and now we have announced an engine partnership with Renault, one of the most successful manufacturers in our sport’s history, a gearbox and hydraulics deal with Red Bull Technology and the start of the process of building our own wind tunnel at the factory in Hingham. We have come such a long way in a very short period, and today’s announcement will give the whole team even more enthusiasm for the challenges that lay ahead.”
Although they are yet to score points, Lotus are currently leading the three new teams in the constructors’ championship, occupying the all-important tenth slot. They recently revealed plans to build a dedicated wind-tunnel facility at their Hingham base.
Renault’s deal with Red Bull for the 2011 and 2012 seasons will see the French company occupy a greater presence on Red Bull’s cars, with extra branding added to the RB6’s nosecone and to the drivers’ helmets from this weekend.
“We’re pleased to announce this extension," said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. "We have always enjoyed a very straightforward relationship with Renault and they have supported us extremely fairly during the past four seasons, contributing to our 13 Grand Prix victories so far. The relationship continues to evolve and we look forward to working with them during our 2011 Formula One World Championship campaign.”
Red Bull are currently leading the constructors’ standings and could clinch the title in Brazil this weekend.
"Renault is delighted to announce an expanded agreement with Red Bull Racing and the arrival of a new customer,” said Bernard Rey, president of Renault Sport. “These new agreements mean that Renault engines will power three teams next year - in simple terms, 25 percent of the cars on the grid. We remain firm believers in the benefits of our successful involvement in F1: it positions Renault as a technological leader, and boosts awareness of the brand across the globe."
For Lotus, the agreement with Renault follows their decision to terminate their supply deal with current provider Cosworth two years early.
“Today’s announcement is the latest confirmation of how far this team wants to go in Formula One,” said Lotus’s chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne. “Having worked with Renault before I know exactly what they will bring to our team and I am delighted that they will be playing an integral role in the next chapter of our story.
“The engine itself gives our designers, engineers and drivers an excellent platform to work with - it is very drivable, has good reliability and comes with a track support team who have a wealth of experience and knowledge. We are all looking forward to working with Renault and are very excited about the future for our partnership and our team.”
Lotus have already revealed that Red Bull Technology will supply the team with gearboxes and hydraulic systems from 2011.
“I am absolutely delighted that we can now officially talk about the partnership with Renault,” said Lotus team principal Tony Fernandes. “There has obviously been a great deal of speculation about which engine will be powering our cars from 2011 and now the announcement has been made I think everyone can see just how ambitious we really are. The combination of the Renault engine and the Red Bull Technology gearbox and hydraulics gives our design and aero teams a successful, tried and tested platform to work with for next year’s car.
“2010 has been all about building up our team from scratch and in just one year we have laid the foundations for many exciting seasons to come and the partnership with Renault will dramatically accelerate our development plans, both on and off track. That is an important point - we have started a partnership with Renault and, much like taking on experienced drivers in our first year, we will be working with people who know how to win and who will help push us even further forward towards the front of the grid. We are realistic - we know what needs to be done to be challenging for ultimate honours in Formula One and this partnership will play a very important role in helping us push ahead.”
Lotus CEO Riad Asmat added: “This is a very big day for everyone in our team, in Malaysia and in the UK. Just over a year ago there were four people in an empty factory, and now we have announced an engine partnership with Renault, one of the most successful manufacturers in our sport’s history, a gearbox and hydraulics deal with Red Bull Technology and the start of the process of building our own wind tunnel at the factory in Hingham. We have come such a long way in a very short period, and today’s announcement will give the whole team even more enthusiasm for the challenges that lay ahead.”
Although they are yet to score points, Lotus are currently leading the three new teams in the constructors’ championship, occupying the all-important tenth slot. They recently revealed plans to build a dedicated wind-tunnel facility at their Hingham base.
Renault’s deal with Red Bull for the 2011 and 2012 seasons will see the French company occupy a greater presence on Red Bull’s cars, with extra branding added to the RB6’s nosecone and to the drivers’ helmets from this weekend.
“We’re pleased to announce this extension," said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. "We have always enjoyed a very straightforward relationship with Renault and they have supported us extremely fairly during the past four seasons, contributing to our 13 Grand Prix victories so far. The relationship continues to evolve and we look forward to working with them during our 2011 Formula One World Championship campaign.”
Red Bull are currently leading the constructors’ standings and could clinch the title in Brazil this weekend.
Credit: Formula One Administration Ltd
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