One does not need to be a rocket scientist to work out that the team at Enstone, previously known as Lotus F1, is going to be running in a yellow colour scheme in 2016. Take a look at Renault factory F1 cars through the eras and it’s a slam dunk. Yellow is the colour of choice for the suits in Boulogne-Billancourt. But, things have changed in the last few months, so there will be some subtle differences, both in terms of colour, lettering and logos.
The company rebranded nine months ago with the celebrated diamond being made bolder and the company adopting a new, specially developed typeface, designed to add a distinctive touch to the brand’s communication. The Renault yellow, which has been made brighter and warmer, remains. So here is what we can expect in terms of styling, if not the actual livery itself, whether the “Passion for life” makes it on to the car remains to be seen.
Normally, one would expect to see some Total money attached to the project, Total being the new Elf, so one must also expect some red.
The colour scheme is one thing, but the key question is really the car design, but on this front one must expect there to be compromises, given the mess the previous owners led the team into. There was no money to do much in the way of a 2016 design, no surprise given that the team was dealing with hospitality unit lock-outs and bailiffs, so we must expect a car that is very similar to that of last year – which was a decent car when it was not being piled into obstacles. Romain Grosjean, lest we forget, scored a podium in September. However the Mercedes engines have been whipped out now and will be replaced by the latest Renault and we will have to wait to see whether this is better. The Renault ought to be an improvement is last year’s effort, but how that equates to the new generation of Merc must yet be seen. There might be the proviso of a major revamp for the car in the midseason, or perhaps even a new car, but this would be hard to do and might also impact on the design of the 2017 Renault, which would make such a project illogical. Thus, no matter who drives for the team, it is going to be an interim year, getting things sorted out and new people in place. To some extent the driver line-up is not the key issue, but Renault would be wise to pick up some youngsters, as they did way back when with Fernando Alonso, and build a team for the future. In most scenarios, Pastor Maldonado does not really fit, except if he shows up with piles of nice clean money. Given the current delamination going on in Venezuela, this will be hard to achieve. A Jolyon Palmer (24) and Kevin Magnussen (23) combination looks quite sensible, although the team must be kicking itself for having lost Esteban Ocon, a 19-year-old Frenchman with obvious talent, who is currently signed to Mercedes.
However, if the strategy is correct, the team will not take on a Frenchman unless there is a top talent available. There is 25-year-old Jean-Eric Vergne out there on the market and he’s both experienced and quick, so he could be in the picture somewhere, even if he is now a Peugeot Citroen driver in Formula E…
All will be revealed shortly, when it’s sorted out. By all accounts that process is still ongoing…
It would be nice to see JEV get anther chance even if this year is going to be a big challenge – what a wonderful strapline (perfectly fine but what the hell) – I wonder how many millions that one took – still if I had paid for it and believed in it I would use it.
Do you know if Jolyon Palmer is good Joe?
I think that winning the GP2 championship is a pretty good indication that the driver is good enough to be in F1. To think otherwise, I fear, is not logical at all.
Jolyon Palmer certainly deserves his crack at F1. It is interesting to note that his (current) teammate is also a former GP2 champ..
“Passion for life”? I was thinking “Zest for life” would fit rather well – both for the usual yellow colour, and their recent propensity for developing lemons.
Well played. Excellent!
I’m not Joe but I can tell you that Joylon is a former GP2 champ… So he’s got some cred.
Dear Joe, I am not sure I agree with your comment re Esteban Ocon. What Renault needs more than anything is a driver that can help them with development of the car and two rookies are not the best option in this situation. As such JEV may even be better call than Kevin, not that there is much between them. I also don’t think that Maldonado will remain, irrespective how much cash he can come up with. His sponsor just doesn’t fit in the business case. At the same time I am curious to see if there will be some Infinity purple on the car – it may replace the black of old days but in combination with red of Total and yellow of Renault, it would certainly be an unusual combination (not that they haven’t done it before).
I was talking longterm, but Max Verstappen has shown that talent is talent is talent.
The last time the cars appeared in yellow – with Robert Kubica – they looked very good. Yellow and black looked very strong, yellow and white is less likely to.
I don’t believe that was under Renault ownership
Good point – I hope that wasn’t why it did look good …
Presumably with stable rules in place from the last 2 years, next year’s tub won’t need to be that different from this years as the concept will be an evolution. Won’t most 2016 cars be a fairly major aero update and fixing any fundamental problems with the 2015 designs?
Joe – are the previous owners “satisfied” with their investment? Or a costly mistake?
The previous owners?
I think he means Genii
Will be intriguing to see if they decide to include Infiniti or Alpine on the car, particularly the latter could benefit from the exposure with a brand relaunch and new car on the horizon, though given Renault’s view on being ‘upstaged’ by the Infiniti logos on the Red Bull, maybe they’ll decide to go pure Renault…
No I think they want pure Renault
Pure Renault would be such a waste though, considering the motorsport genes they have. During the early turbo phase the engines were branded Gordini, on their cam covers at least, and they have the very tempting (to my mind) of running as Renault-Alpine, surely one of the greatest of the sport’s double-barrel names, up there with Repco-Brabham and Lotus-Ford.
Sebastien Buemi wins the Formula E championship this year with edams. Renault and then will be in a Renault F1 in 2017 – just a thought. He’s Swiss, and I guess speaks French.
Livery suddenly equates to speed LMAO
PDVSA would be a clash with Total sponsorship in my view which could be a good way to ‘ease’ away from Paster without embarrassing him over ‘rumored’ late payments. Its possible he could bring some reduced level of funds elsewhere, (back of the grid) although I see few 2016 seats available unless someone else misses a payment. -:)
In related news: many of F1’s fuel suppliers such as Petrobras, Petronas, Cepsa, Mobil, Shell and the already mentioned Total are having financial difficulties in the $30 a barrel world right now. Petrobras is 2nd to PDVSA as far as financial exposure at these market rates considering the over all economic health of Brazil at this point in time.
Shell is the gold standard of Oil companies (net worth) as well as being the gold standard as an F1 partner that continues to do a great job leveraging their ‘message’ to the consumer. Companies such as Shell and other such as Mobil will always find the connection between racing and their consumers worthwhile. Others… not so much, mainly because they entered F1 without a thought on how to receive a return on this investment that made a difference to the corporation. An end-plate decal or engine cover wrap in F1 doesn’t mean instant consumer sales if you leave it at that.
Oil is a long term investment so over a year or two nothing much will change other than projects put into a ‘holding state’ but long term low prices will affect F1 in that the smaller State run companies will be forced to slash investments in new fields and this could also include sponsorship funds in cost cutting. Of course one major mid east war again could change everything overnight for the industry.
Its suspected by many that the current low price of oil will lead to fewer oil corporations with the weaker being sucked up by the stronger. When we talk about ‘peak oil’ we may also be saying this about F1 Oil firm sponsorship numbers after 2016…
Good point, and let us hope that fewer money will let the talent win in the end.
Doug: “PDVSA would be a clash with Total sponsorship in my view which could be a good way to ‘ease’ away from Paster without embarrassing him over ‘rumored’ late payments.”
Drivers often get booted from a drive about stupid stuff. Rarely has a driver been sacked because 30 million quid arrives a bit late.
Total sat quite happily along side PDVSA with Romain Grosjean last year under GENII’s ownership.
However, I’m struggling to think of any other GENII sponsors that may transfer across (barring occasional Saxo Bank deals).
Yellow and black is what we in Denmark use to show low pricing, discount etc.
As a Dane I hope and believe that Renault will sign Magnussen instead of Maldonado, or at least as their 3. driver for a deat in 2017. With Magnussen
With Magnussen Renault will have a very talented driver who they can mold and form as they want to over a long period of time. Moreover Magnussen is a very loyal person who is perfect for branding Renault and their other sponsors.
Luckily Denmark’s population is that of a mid-sized American city. So, Renault can keep their awesome livery.
Afternoon Joe, Do you ever see Nicola Prost ever getting a drive in F1? Renault maybe a good fit considering he is already driving for a Renault backed team in Formula E and the obvious links with his legendary father Alain.
No, I do not
Nicolas Prost is the manager for one Pastor Maldonado… so… well make your own conclusion Bobby… (He is also a tad too old in the Junior world of new F1 drivers – already in his mid 30 ies, he is 5 years older than Maldo)
Really, what happened to Nicolas Todt?
Lol, love your sense of humour
Ups….
“which was a decent car when it was not being piled into obstacles”.😀 That made me chuckle!
I really liked the last time Renault (or the team that was Renault but not anymore but still called Renault, which then changed to Lotus but was still Renault until it was Lotus) did yellow and black, a big improvement on that horrible 2008/9 white/orange/blue/yellow mess!
Was a shame to see it go, was a nice retro touch but seemed odd to be going more ‘Renault’ when the team was no longer owned by them. I’m glad to see the team is safe and finally back as a proper manufacturer team, what the team has done with very limited resources has been very impressive so there is no doubt there is some talent there. I suspect this year will be very tough without the Mercedes engine and a lack of investment and development in 2015 so I hope Renault don’t get too disheartened by a lack of immediate results.
JEV gets my vote over Kev for the second seat if it is available
Simpsons !
It seems that Maldonado’s time in F1 is coming very quickly to an end.
Considering the falling oil prices.
Earlier this week President Nicolas Maduro announced that Venezuela’s oil is selling for $24 a barrel, the lowest price in a more than a decade.
Foreing reserves at 16 billion $, the lowest since 2003.
Venezuela must make some $10 billion in principal and interest payments on foreign bonds in 2016.
If we add to this that venezuela needs the oil price to be at $ 88.00 a barrel to balance the budget, you don’t need to be an expert to forecast that it will be very little money available. On top of that the government lost the last elections (landslide) with all the consequences that this will bring to them. So I fail to see how Pastor is going to get
the pile of cash he needs to keep his seat at Renault.
I think the odds of KMag driving for Renault this season are very very high. Let’s see.
P.S. Investors have grown concerned that Venezuela may default on foreign debt, which has left bond prices heavily discounted. Not good.