Racing Lines: the trouble with Renault in F1 The French factory team is struggling this season - but why, and when will things turn around? https://www.autocar.co.uk/opinion/motorsport/racing-lines-trouble-renault-f1 What is happening to Renault in Formula 1? Nearly five years into its return as a full-blown factory team, the French giant was supposed to be a world title contender by now. Instead, it languishes fifth in the constructors’ standings, one place lower than this time last year and far behind McLaren, a Renault customer which pays to use its hybrid engine – but not for much longer. At the Russian Grand Prix, the rejuvenated Woking team announced it will abandon Renault power in favour of Mercedes next year, leaving the works cars as lone representatives in 2020. It’s all a long way from the glory days of powering Red Bull to four consecutive titles between 2010-13, never mind the twin crowns of Fernando Alonso in 2005-06. Renault has a rich history in F1 since the late 1970s, but that timeline is not continuous and includes periods as an engine supplier only. Such was the case with Red Bull, a partnership that was tense even at its height. Renault never enjoyed the credit it deserved for those titles and also missed out on a cut of F1’s vast revenues. Lacking the clout of Mercedes and Ferrari, in 2015 it bought back the Enstone-based team it had previously sold and committed to becoming a true F1 force once again. Progress was inevitably limited as Renault invested in a factory that had become outdated and a workforce that had lost some of its best talent. The surprise big-money signing of Daniel Ricciardo for 2019 signalled a step up in intent, but paying the seven-time grand prix winner north of £20 million a season has an impact on a team that spends in the region of 30- 40% less on F1 than its silver and red rivals, according to team principal Cyril Abiteboul. Nothing adds up. Meanwhile, Mercedes protégé Esteban Ocon has been signed to replace the unremarkable Nico Hülkenberg for next year to further strengthen the attack. Then again, how good is Ocon? If he really is a future champion, why didn’t his manager Toto Wolff sign him to replace Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes? In the wake of Lewis Hamilton in 2007, and Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc today, it cannot be Ocon’s age. Renault’s best hopes rest with the much-vaunted (and late) new F1 regulations, due for introduction in 2021. In F1’s own version of Brexit, details should be clear by the end of October. Whatever their shape, Renault must avoid a repeat of its hybrid-era failures. Car executive boards have only so much patience for serial underachievement in motorsport.
Second rate article,I am not at all a Renault fan but they have invested heavily in improving, upgrading the factory and this is missing from that hastily put together blurb. They will get there with pain but they will. Can't say I like Abiteboul, a dark, brooding mind not suited to be s group leader. I have long felt that one negative aspect in my view is the location of the Viry Chatillon engine factory, right by a noisy motorway, gridlock, in middle of nasty suburbs south of Paris. That can't be the most serene work setting for technical progress and reliability.
Agreed. The "Autocar" article lacks in-depth analysis; in particular, I think it misses the point it nevertheless opens here: "Car executive boards have only so much patience for serial underachievement in motorsport" Because as for myself, the main trouble with Renault is that the company (= the workers, engineers, etc...) wants to be in Formula One, but the Board has always seemed to be lukewarm towards Formula One at best. Had the Board be more convinced that a full-scale effort in Formula One was making sense, they would have voted a bigger budget. To me, it seems that the company's objectives in Formula One are not entirely clear, and not entirely supported by its Board either; hence, the half-baked effort. Perhaps this is a testimony of what is happening here in France nowadays towards automobiles, which are more and more considered as a nuisance; my guess (that is only a guess...) is that most Board members at Renault are not convinced at all that the company should be in Formula One, and would be very happy to find a good argument to close the effort once and for all. Rgds
That is very possible and one wonders if the effort is impeded by Ghosn no longer being in charge: he was often at races and was pro F1. Also Mercedes did not take Ocon because he would have been disruptive, created stress in the team, he races for himself and is antagonistic whereas Bottas, even if not quite as quick, makes no waves. The whole paddock knows this about Ocon -c.f. him laughing at Verstappen to provoke him in Brazil last year instead of apologizing for taking him out when he was leading and lapping him- so the Autocar article is ill informed, un-professionally so.
Lack of long term commitment seems to be the problem at Renault. I suspect that the board feels F1 is too elitist and not the right environment for Renault, that's why they are reluctant to invest much in it. Grassroot motor racing (Gordini Cup, rallycross), GT series (with Alpine) and rallying would fit more with the firm's image, IMO.
The war inside the company is still raging: the rumor has it that the board was ready to dismiss the general manager / CEO Thierry Bolloré, to tie up the loose ends after the Ghosn eviction: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/renault-chief-faces-the-axe-to-draw-line-under-ghosn-lmvxz9ms7 An extraordinary board of Directors has been called for yesterday's evening, and has indeed dismissed him...reason was "bad financial results" (they are not good, indeed). Times are changing... Rgds
It would be bad to lose Renault..for good and bad they are a part of the "circus" . They are there since late 70s, with a few misses, and i like that yellow team...but i think they thought they could win spending a lot less..they can't, either you're in with full guns blazzing or your just there to make a number...Honda realized it, and it's pouring everything into it...they started with 250 people on the project and are now 450!.....Renault is going nowhere and will still be spending a ton...
I believe they have the ability but yes is the will there, that is a whole other question altogether...
Now, this could affect the F1 team, or maybe not ? Renault ousts chief executive Thierry Bolloré in 'coup' https://www.bbc.com/news/business-50016532 French car manufacturer Renault has dismissed its chief executive, Thierry Bolloré, with immediate effect. The current finance director, Clotilde Delbos, has been appointed to run the business on an interim basis. Renault's move comes close on the heels of the decision by its industrial partner Nissan to appoint a new chief executive earlier this week. Mr Bolloré has described the manoeuvering against him as a "strong-arm coup". Intense infighting As corporate bloodlettings go, this was brutal and ruthless. Mr Bolloré told a French newspaper that he only became aware of attempts to get rid of him when he stepped off a plane in Paris in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Renault chairman, Jean-Dominique Senard was behind the move and appears to have had the endorsement of the French government, a 15% shareholder in Renault. So what happened? Mr Bolloré was appointed in January, in the wake of a major scandal involving his predecessor, Carlos Ghosn. Mr Ghosn, who was also chairman of Nissan and presided over the global alliance between Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi, was arrested in Tokyo last year. He remains in custody on charges of financial wrongdoing, which he denies. He claims he was a victim of a plot orchestrated by Nissan executives, who were anxious to prevent a merger between the company and its French partner. The fallout from his arrest has been severe, triggering a period of intense infighting within the Nissan boardroom and poisoning the relationship with Renault. Since then, both companies have seen a steep fall in profits, while Nissan has been further tainted by financial scandal. Earlier this week, Nissan appointed a new chief executive, Makoto Ushida, in an effort to stop the rot, get the company back on track and smooth ruffled feathers at Renault. The removal of Mr Bolloré - once a close associate of Carlos Ghosn - may also have been intended, at least in part, to heal the rift between the two companies, although it is understood the the poor performance of the business itself was a major factor. So where does all this leave the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, collectively one of the world's biggest car manufacturing groups? The links between them are strong - Renault has a 43% shareholding in the Japanese firm, their logistics networks are heavily intertwined, and they share a range of technology. Unwinding all that would not be easy. But insiders say the damage done by the upheaval of the past year runs deep within the fabric of both businesses. So keeping them together, and restoring a cordial relationship may not be easy.
