2007 Renault R27
January 31st, 2007-The ING Renault F1 Team today signalled its arrival in Formula 1 in style, with a spectacular media presentation in front of 600 VIPs and media in Amsterdam. Winners of consecutive world championships in 2005 and 2006, the team proudly unveiled new title partner ING and the striking new livery that will adorn the R27 cars throughout the 2007 season and beyond.
The Renault F1 Team's 2007 challenger has been christened R27. The new car represents an evolution of the design philosophy that won world championship success in 2005 and 2006. Every part of the car has been designed to meet demanding performanerodyce criteria that will enable the team to maintain its front-running performance. The anamic packaging represents a further step forward over its predecessor in terms of overall efficiency, and innovative solutions have been employed in a number of areas to achieve improved performance under stable technical regulations. The car also features a new instantaneous gearchange seven-speed gearbox, and has been designed with maximum set-up flexibility in order that its dynamic characteristics can be tuned to suit the Bridgestone Potenza tyres that will be used by every team in 2007.
The new car will be powered by the 2.4L V8 RS27 engine, which has been designed to the requirements of the engine homologation regulations which will be in force for 2007 and beyond. Conceived to limit expenditure on engine development, these rules specify that no performance improvements can be made to the engine relative to the definitive specification that will be submitted to the FIA by 1 March 2007. The engine is based on the RS26 V8 engine that competed in the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix last season, and has been re-tuned in line with modifications permitted by the regulations for the new maximum rev limit of 19,000 rpm that will be imposed on all competitors.
The RS27 engine will also equip the cars of Red Bull Racing during the 2007 season, under the terms of a new engine supply agreement. The agreement specifies that both teams will use the same specification of engine, and a team of Renault F1 Team engineers will provide trackside support to Red Bull Racing. The new agreement marks the continuation of a tradition that begin in 1983, and which has seen customer Renault engines win 80 Grands Prix since that time.
The R27 completed its first shakedown in Jerez on 16 January, and the team tested at the same circuit from 17-19 January with two brand new chassis a first for the team, that provides a decisive advantage in allowing both race drivers to accumulate maximum mileage in the R27 before the opening race of the season. The team completed over 2000 km in testing, with only minor early-life reliability problems. Following their first test at the wheel of the new car, 2007 race drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen are already feeling positive about their chances for the new season.
For Giancarlo Fisichella, 2007 will be his third year with the team and the opportunity to deliver on the promise glimpsed during the previous two seasons. Having been an integral part of the teams championship successes in 2005 and 2006, the Italian will aim to add racewinning consistency to his natural speed in order to become a regular contender at the front of the field. An unquestionable asset will be his extensive Formula 1 experience, as he will be the third most-experienced driver in the field in 2007.
Alongside Fisichella will be new team-mate Heikki Kovalainen, one of the brightest young talents in Formula 1. The Finn has completed over 30,000 km in testing during recent seasons, and has proved his racing credentials as a member of the Renault Driver Development programme since 2002. The team has now offered him the rare opportunity to make his Formula 1 debut in a championship-winning team.
