Renault to start heavy testing!


Getting ready

By role
November 25 2003

The Renault F1 team starts today their testing ahead of the 2004 season. After a more than succesful year the Anglo-French squad is looking forward to start the new season in a competitive form. Renault has some heavy challenges ahead as the team will revert to a traditional architectured engine reported to be of 72º from the 110º V angle they have been using in the last three years. Most of the teams on the grid will be using a more modern 90º V angle engine and some insiders have pinpointed this as one of the handicaps of Renault.

Also the grid is expectant to see how the team technically evolves without the direction of ex Technical Director Mike Gascoyne that will start his work at Toyota next week.

Renault plans to conduct 10 days of test in the next three weeks and will kick off testing today at the circuit of Cheste in Valencia. Renault will test at the narrow and twisty circuit for four days before moving to Barcelona next week for three days of testing in a track that has suited quite well the Renault R23 chassis. During those days the team will also give a chance to drive an F1 car to two promising drivers, Heikki Kovalainen from Finland and José María López from Argentina.

Finally the team will test a further three days on Jerez on the second week of December.

Renault will be testing new evolutions of the car and is planning to present the new R24 on January 29th, 2004 at Palermo, Italy.

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