Renault Sport F1: 2018 Car - RS18

Renault Sport Formula One Team unveils its 2018 car

2018 Renault Sport Drivers: Nico Hulkenberg; Carlos Sainz

View the Renault Sport F1 2018 car photo album below.

Today, fans of the Renault Sport Formula One Team have discovered the car that will defend the colors of the team during the presentation of the Renault RS18. Thanks to tools specially created for the occasion, they visualized a beautiful hologram before studying it from all angles to observe the lines and the black and yellow livery.

The Renault RS18 is the third chassis designed by Renault Sport Formula One Team since its return as official safety in F1 in 2016. True evolution and sophistication of the solutions developed in 2017, the RS18 has a concept of reworked suspension and more aerodynamic support. More visibly, it is also equipped with the “halo”, the new mandatory cockpit protection, and a new engine hood to comply with the 2018 technical regulation.

The Renault RE18 powertrain, a 1.6-liter turbocharged V6, will bring the RS18 to life. The latter has successfully completed its program on the Viry-Châtillon test benches to maximize performance and improve reliability, the regulations allowing only three internal combustion engines (ICE), two MGU-K and two batteries by season.

2018 Renault Sport car photo - F1 race car — 2018 Renault Sport car photo – F1 race car

The RS18 is jointly designed by the Enstone (UK) and Viry-Châtillon (France) teams. Last year, significant improvements were made to the Enstone site, including the CFD supercomputer, the wind tunnel, the race team’s operations room, the gearbox benches, the workshop, and more. machining or the design office, now larger. These investments bore their first fruits, with the Renault Sport Formula One Team ranking sixth in the constructors’ championship after ninth place in 2016.

“The Renault Sport Formula One Team aims to honor Renault’s impressive track record in the sport,” said Jérôme Stoll, President of Renault Sport Racing .

“2017 has confirmed that we are on the right track. We are a stable in progress. We have two talented drivers with long teeth. Enstone is revitalized and the workforce has already grown by more than 35%. So far, our efforts have been successful on the track. Last year, we went from ninth to sixth in the championship, not to mention that we ended the year with the fourth fastest car on the grid,” Stroll concluded.

“The success of our program in just two years bears witness to the seriousness of the project established since the genesis of the team and the work done by Cyril and all the Renault Sport Racing teams. I hope that our third season will bring us closer to our long-term goal: the victories and the fight for world titles. ”

“Last season was a success in so many ways,” added Cyril Abiteboul, General Manager of Renault Sport Racing . “This was the second year of our reconstruction, another step towards our long-term goals. 2016 was dedicated to recruiting, investing and attracting new partners, talents and employees while building our image.”

“Over the course of 2017, I have seen progress in many areas. We went from ninth to sixth place in the championship, not to mention that we were regularly the fourth force on the board. This shows our dynamism, our determination and our commitment to this very ambitious project. It was a significant progression towards our aspirations: to challenge the advanced stables,” Abiteboul concluded.

“This year, we have every reason to be positive. We have a duo of talented and ambitious drivers. Last year, Nico gave us exactly what we needed: his experience, his knowledge and his leadership qualities on and off the track. Carlos arrived at the end of the season and brought freshness while scoring valuable points in the championship. Without that, we would not have finished in the place that was ours. ”

“Our main goal is to continue our progress in terms of results. We want to be able to demonstrate our progress at all levels: powertrain, chassis, operational structure, pilots. Everything must improve and we must continue to grow. We want to demonstrate it in different ways: compared to our direct competitors, away from the leaders, not to mention our fans and the respect that our team will inspire with its behavior on and off the track. ”

Renault RS18 will be entrusted to Nico Hulkenberg and Sainz. Both drivers are eager to discover it during the first tests organized in Barcelona from February 26th to March 1st.

“When I went to Enstone, I could see all the animation around the RS18 and its development,” said 30-year-old Nico Hulkenberg .

“I’m really excited. If we add to that the news about the powertrain coming from Viry, everything is in place for an exciting future! I am optimistic and I trust,” Hulkenbrg said. “We are on a good trajectory. This year, we want to build on the results of our efforts last year. In 2017, I had to take my marks, but I am now in the starting blocks. I have a good feeling. We worked a lot during the winter and hard work often ends up paying. I can not wait to be there, give me the wheel! ”

After joining the team at the end of the 2017 season , 23-year-old Carlos Sainz is also looking forward to recovery.

“We are entering this new year by working harder every day to keep up with this positive momentum,” Sainz said. “Of course, the main goal is to take a step forward as a driver and as a team. It’s hard to predict the size of this step, but I’m confident. I gave it all this winter and I know everyone else did the same. I am confident that we will live an exciting year. ”

This year, Nico and Carlos will be joined by Jack Aitken promoted third driver and reserve pilot. A member of the Renault Sport Academy since its inception, Jack will combine his role in F1 with a season in the FIA Formula 2 Championship.

“It’s amazing to become a third driver and reserve driver,” said the British-Korean 22 years old Aitken. “I still can not realize all that that implies, but my involvement in the team will intensify. By the first tests of Barcelona, it will be real and I will take all the measure. This allows me to get closer to Nico and Carlos, to learn from them while watching the race team, the engineers and the organization in every detail. If asked, I would of course be happy to settle in the tub, but I hope everything will go well with Nico and Carlos! For the time being, I must especially continue my progression. ”

New testing and development driver, Artem Markelov will support the team through his development tasks at the Enstone simulator. In parallel, the Russian will carry out a campaign in F2.

“I am very happy to become a test and development driver for Renault Sport Formula One Team,” Markelov said. “Renault is a big name in F1 and joining this team is an important step in my career. This year, I will listen, learn and seize every opportunity. I thank them for giving me this chance. I spent the winter preparing for this long season of testing and racing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with Russian Time. I can not wait to get to work and start the season. ”

The 2018 season will begin on March 25 in Melbourne, Australia. Before that, the various teams will perform two sessions of four days of tests on the circuit of Barcelona-Catalunya (Spain).

— Renault Sport —