The first pictures of the new Renault RS17 for 2017 have been revealed.
The RS17 features a new Renault Sport brand identity with several areas of the car which were yellow now painted black. Renault says the new look will be used across a range of racing disciplines.
“It’s a beautiful car,” declared Renault Sport president Jerome Stroll. “The R.S.17 is the first car which Enstone and Viry have been able to plan and develop from the outset and we’re satisfied by the fruits of this interaction.”
Team principal Cyril Abiteboul said he expects “strong progress” from the team this year.
“The expectations are significant, though equally, we are still growing and the fruits of new personnel and new infrastructure do take time to filter through. In terms of performance, we will be a lot faster than last year, that’s for sure.”
Chief technical officer Bob Bell also hinted at major gains in performance from the new car. “This is the chassis equivalent to the power unit regulation changes of 2014, and it’s certainly more fundamental than the last big chassis change in 2009.”
“The desire for the change was to make the cars a lot quicker and with a more modern appearance without compromising safety. The numbers we’re looking at for lap time improvement does represent a sea-change in terms of performance.”
Renault is heading into its second season since taking over the former Lotus team. Nico Hulkenberg has joined its driver line-up in place of Kevin Magnussen, while Jolyon Palmer remains for a second season.
Alain Prost, who won his final world title with Renault power in 1993, attended the launch in his capacity as special advisor to the team. The four-times champion predicted the new, wider generation of F1 cars reminded him of the old days, would increase the challenge for drivers and make the sport more spectacular.
The team also confirmed GP2 racer Sergey Sirotkin as their third and reserve driver.
Previous Renault F1 cars
- Renault RS16 (2016) pictures
- Renault R31 (2011) pictures
- Renault R30 (2010) pictures
- Renault R29 (2009) pictures
- Renault R28 (2008) pictures
- More Renault F1 cars
Hugh (@hugh11)
21st February 2017, 14:50
I love it
Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
21st February 2017, 14:56
Me too haha.
After yesterdays mutual Sauber hatred it seems we have similar livery tastes
Unicron (@unicron2002)
21st February 2017, 15:08
It looks angry and aggressive, cool.
petebaldwin (@)
21st February 2017, 17:21
I didn’t like it at first but now I’ve seen some more shots, it looks really mean. We’re certainly getting some interesting airbox designs this year!
Miguel Sampaio (@gordess)
21st February 2017, 14:51
So… much… black….
Joao (@johnmilk)
21st February 2017, 15:02
same story as yesterday, fantastic looking car, a bit disappointed with the livery, they dipped the nose in paint and forgot about the rest. The regulations at least are making these things amazing.
They look enormous, especially now that we seen one next to people.
The rear tyres look great
Shame we cannot appreciate the details with the black background, and it probably won’t be any easier, the tracks are dark as well. They should have kept last year’s livery, and minor tweaks only
Miguel Sampaio (@gordess)
21st February 2017, 15:18
@johnmilk, “they dipped the nose in paint and forgot about the rest” ahahaha!!!!!!!! Brilliant!
I totally agree, the car looks great but that livery… meh… and that shark fin!… I really hope that this is the last car with the fin!
Joao (@johnmilk)
21st February 2017, 15:26
it won’t be unfortunately @gordess
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
21st February 2017, 15:53
@gordess I really don’t get why people complain about shark fins. It’s not like the thumb noses which are there because the rules effectively created them. They’re there to serve an aerodynamic purpose.
Tony Mansell
21st February 2017, 15:57
Well you are in a minority. Wheel covers were for aero too. Sooo?
Bin the fin
Miguel Sampaio (@gordess)
21st February 2017, 16:00
Don’t get me wrong @keithcollantine, I know that they serve a purpouse. That doesn’t mean that I find them aesthetically pleasing…
But I will say this, after seeing a side picture of the car on the official F1 website, it is not as bad as I originally thought (knee-jerk reaction, I guess). And it does give the car an even more agressive look!
Anyway, it doesn’t really matter, as long as it can deliver on the “5th on the championship” promise!
(https://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/headlines/2017/2/renault-launch-the-r-s-17-in-london/_jcr_content/articleContent/manual_gallery/image3.img.2048.medium.jpg/1487692605456.jpg)
Joao (@johnmilk)
21st February 2017, 16:22
Not really a good argument I think Keith. Which one would you prefer a Gumpert Apollo or a McLaren P1? And guess which one was designed for every single part to have a function and with complete disregard for aesthetics.
petebaldwin (@)
21st February 2017, 17:23
I don’t like shark-fins but I much prefer them to what they had last year – the straight line fin that stuck out at the rear.
The natural shape of the cars is beautiful so without any sort of fin attached, they would look stunning but if they required, the shark-fin looks much more aggressive.
Kenny
21st February 2017, 17:55
I don’t mind the look of the “shark fins”, either. May be a dumb question but won’t the fins present a problem with strong cross winds?
Adam
21st February 2017, 18:39
I like the shark fin. I think aesthetically it’s a good thing.
And it’s also a great name – “shark fin”. At least it’s not called something like “camel’s hump” or “flamingo’s arse”.
A “shark fin”, grrrr…angry!!
ExcitedAbout17
21st February 2017, 19:24
It disrupts (even ruins) an otherwise beautifully sculpted design.
Andy (@andybantam)
21st February 2017, 20:05
I’m also with @keithcollantine on this one.
I always liked shark fins. They have a purpose. They look good!
Jorge Olivier
21st February 2017, 23:43
Keith, can you explain the thumb noses and why they were created by the rules? I read the same somewhere else but it wasn’t explained? Can we expect Mercedes to have that thumb too? Thanks
zimkazimka (@zimkazimka)
22nd February 2017, 4:22
@keithcollantine Shark fin and yellow livery. Somebody call Eddie Jordan – there’s a missed opportunity right here!
ExcitedAbout17
21st February 2017, 19:27
agree @johnmilk, and thanks for commenting on the design first and livery afterwards.
I always thought that nutters who frequent this site would focus on the sculpted bodies first. But it surprises me how many comments purely focus on the colours.
Miguel Sampaio (@gordess)
23rd February 2017, 10:53
@johnmilk, just saw this render. I think it looks great and at least it doesn’t look like they forgot to paint half the car!
https://scontent-mad1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/16905044_2328082703996702_3008965762473623413_o.jpg?oh=9eb5d4a54e7bbdd4620ece5763020ed6&oe=5932DD67
Joao (@johnmilk)
23rd February 2017, 11:15
looks awesome @gordess
shame those are the mild-seven colours, a return is unlikely. but much better than the bumblebee wannabe.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
21st February 2017, 16:15
@gordess Indeed – good for hiding aerodynamic detail, not so good for heat rejection.
just.daz (@nemo87)
21st February 2017, 18:33
I’m with @keithcollantine on this one, I really don’t see the issue with the shark fins.. at least they’re not the full on billboards some of the WEC cars have! Pretty sure I read somewhere (possibly scarbs) that some teams could possible loose them/make them smaller after a few races if they aren’t seeing any sort of gain from them.
As for the ‘thumb’ I’d happily take those over the hideous platypus noses or the gentleman sausage noses.
I love the look of both the Sauber and the Renault.. another step closer to the mental looking 2008 era which I loved aesthetically!
I like the way the teams seem to be going with the chunky/wide airboxes too!
Roll on tomorrow’s launch!
anon
21st February 2017, 21:39
@keithcollantine, given that most of the heat transfer from the engine will be through convective heat transfer via the radiators, rather than radiative heat transfer through the engine cover, surely it will make next to no difference if they have painted the rear of th car black instead of any other colour.
Teams like McLaren and Force India, which use predominantly black liveries, or similarly teams like Red Bull and Toro Rosso (with their relatively dark blue liveries), have not had any issues with heat rejection – equally, when this team ran a completely black livery whilst competing as Lotus, there were never any reports of heat rejection issues. Usually, most issues with heat rejection have come from problems with internal airflow through the sidepods and internal ducts rather than the external bodywork colour.
Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
21st February 2017, 14:52
Definitely worth the excruciating wait! Loving the new regs (aesthetically at least).
Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
21st February 2017, 14:54
I know I’m in the minority but I’m even liking the shark fins this time round, they look menacing.
G. (#F1insperations) (@greggriffiths)
21st February 2017, 14:56
agreed, agreed, agreed, agreed, agreed. all the way.
LOVE THIS CAR (as i did last year)
GeeMac (@geemac)
21st February 2017, 15:11
@rdotquestionmark Have to agree with you, I really like the look of the shark fins. I was never really that bothered by them so I can’t see why people feel so strongly about them.
Deej92 (@deej92)
21st February 2017, 15:15
Agreed. Some people really seem to dislike them but I don’t think it worsens the look of the cars at all (slightly improves if anything).
They are hardly monstrosities on the scale of the 2012 stepped noses or 2014 finger noses.
MrBoerns (@mrboerns)
21st February 2017, 15:26
But senna didn’t have sharkfins! *throws Toy out of pram*
Joao (@johnmilk)
21st February 2017, 15:30
@rdotquestionmark in my opinion shark fins don’t destroy completely the look of the car, as it does for some.
The problem that I have with them is that disrupts the general shape of the car and how the lines of it flow. The cars have this almost silhouette like shape in the engine cover (is this why men like F1 so much??), and the shark fin brakes with those lines, making it very straight and arsh, it isn’t comfortable to my eyes.
Still the improvement from last year (apart from the livery) is outstanding
Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
21st February 2017, 16:04
@johnmilk Yes I can appreciate that. Beauty is completely subjective after all. I think the fins look futuristic and aggressive and I think they compliment and work with the lines of the car as opposed to the forced step noses for example. I suppose the cars of 2007/2008 raised similar questions, some loved the radical aero and some hated the cluttered lines (are you an E type Jag fan or do you prefer the vulgarity of an RS Focus?) 😁. Personally I like both.
Joao (@johnmilk)
21st February 2017, 16:28
Ahah am I that easy to read @rdotquestionmark? I would go for the jag if I am honest, but I can appreciate the focus as well.
For me the shark fin is like mixing a bit of the focus in the jag, doesn’t really work.
I do agree with you in one point, they do look more agressive.
We won’t ever be on the same side so at least I am glad that some fans like, after all is just a detail that we will soon ignore as soon as these beauties hit the track.
Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
21st February 2017, 16:40
Ha but did you like the shark fin on the D type Jag? 😂 @johnmilk Like you say it’s a minor detail but a talking point at least. Be interesting to see if all teams incorporate it, I’m guessing so.
Joao (@johnmilk)
21st February 2017, 16:47
I try not to look at it @rdotquestionmark as I don’t like asymetrical things, and it hurts my brain.
I’m expecting them to, especially because it improves aerodynamic efficiency. Nice to see that the 3 cars showned until now have different cuts on it, a bit of diversity is always welcomed.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
21st February 2017, 14:52
It really is a striking looking car in itself, lovely sweeping nose and sidepods, very aggressive, but that livery, so disappointing, urgh.
FJBH10 (@fjbh10)
21st February 2017, 15:00
It’ll just be a testing livery again I bet.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
21st February 2017, 15:03
They had that last season, did they? All black with bits of yellow, and then showed up all yellow in Australia?
sam3110 (@sam3110)
21st February 2017, 14:53
Air box is split into 4!
GechiChan (@gechichan)
21st February 2017, 14:54
is the shark fin mandatory? Sauber had it too, but man, i find that so distracting and ugly.
Man United_Vettel (@siegfreyco)
21st February 2017, 14:59
It is aerodynamically beneficial with the low rear wing so pretty much all teams would do it
squaregoldfish (@squaregoldfish)
21st February 2017, 15:09
I’m not a huge fan of the shark fins, but I can live with them. Having the fin be taller than the wing is a bit off-putting though.
BigJoe
21st February 2017, 16:16
Shark fin looks ok. The front wings are a mess though. Looks like they’ve been driving around ploughing up pieces of carbon.
GechiChan (@gechichan)
22nd February 2017, 7:00
the car from the side, with the shark fin, looks like a chopped off hot-rod. It owuld have been more elegant without it, but i understand it’s an aero advantage and has a purpose.
I made this quickly in PS to see how it would look without the fin and it would’ve looked so stremalined: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/16381741/RS17-sharkfin.jpg
WilliamB (@william-brierty)
21st February 2017, 14:54
Loving the airbox…
bosyber (@bosyber)
21st February 2017, 15:02
Me too @willliam-brierty, the front wings, noses and a some other parts of the cars might still look very similar this yer, but at least we seem to be back to an era where theams experiment with different airboxes, reminds me of the time (well, images and recordings of the time, wasn’t watching F1 until couple of decades later) when they first started sporting airboxes on F1 cars.
GeeMac (@geemac)
21st February 2017, 15:02
Agreed, that is a really nice looking solution.
The sidepods are really striking too, they are miniscule.
Fixy (@)
21st February 2017, 16:57
Hating that airbox, and especially the front-on look of the part between the airbox and the headrest… apart from the thumb nose and the silly front wing mounts the car looks much fiercer than the Sauber and Williams!
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
21st February 2017, 14:55
I would rather have that hideous ING-inspired livery back than this. Was hoping for colour: we get monochrome.
Hugh (@hugh11)
21st February 2017, 15:31
Yellow is practically the least monochrome colour? Very vibrant
G. (#F1insperations) (@greggriffiths)
21st February 2017, 15:40
For once I agree with you@hugh11
Well said
Lawrence andrade
21st February 2017, 16:18
Monochrome means one color. Yellow is monochrome
sam3110 (@sam3110)
21st February 2017, 16:37
Yellow, black, white, green and red is not monochrome though Is it?
Hugh (@hugh11)
21st February 2017, 16:59
monochrome
ˈmɒnəkrəʊm,mɒnə(ʊ)ˈkrəʊm/Submit
noun
1.
a photograph or picture developed or executed in black and white or in varying tones of only one colour.
adjective
1.
(of a photograph or picture, or a television screen) consisting of or displaying images in black and white or in varying tones of only one colour.
Either way, black and yellow isn’t monochrome.
ExcitedAbout17
21st February 2017, 19:32
Fully agree with you @hugh11, at least I would want to fully agree with you, but…
Technically black is not a colour; it is the lack of light/colour.
Therefore a black and yellow car is monochrome ;)
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
21st February 2017, 21:05
The car is largely still black/gray, the colour that dominates the field. That’s what I mean by monochrome: the field, not this car.
RogerA
21st February 2017, 14:55
Another ugly shark-fin :(
I hated the way they looked last time & was glad they were banned, They sadly look just as hideous now! :(
Serg (@)
21st February 2017, 15:02
At least the shark fin serves an explained specific purpose unlike the thumb noses from several years ago.
Mick
21st February 2017, 23:03
Shark fin looks great!
Super aggressive, looks like a deranged psychopathic mutant.
GeeMac (@geemac)
21st February 2017, 14:58
Mon dieu! I love the look of that.
Uzair Syed (@ultimateuzair)
21st February 2017, 14:58
I really like most of the car. The livery looks nice, and the shape of the car overall looks good. However, we need a ban on thumb noses for next season. It ruins the look of this car slightly.
Shimks (@shimks)
21st February 2017, 14:59
Well, I love the colours. And if they’ve improved the engine as much as Horner says, then it’s very good for the future of this team.
Adam (@rocketpanda)
21st February 2017, 15:00
I kinda like it. Reminds me of the Yellow/Black look they had when Kubica was driving.
So far I quite like the look of the new cars. Might be in the minority here but I rather liked the shark-fin look – I just wish they’d come up with a more dynamic nose design than the weird thumb-thingy.
Todfod (@todfod)
21st February 2017, 17:02
@rocketpanda
Reminded me about the Kubica time as well!
I’m liking the looks of the 2017 cars a lot. They look aggressive and mean. Despite what people are saying about the Sauber and Renault so far, I think both their liveries are significantly better than last year, and the shark fin definitely improves the aesthetics of the car for me.
Looking forward to the Red Bull, Mercs and Ferrari launch. I’m sure they’ll have some cracking looking cars.
Dom (@3dom)
21st February 2017, 19:14
Have to agree @rocketpanda, I think the cars look great so far. Think we’re going to have a diverse looking grid this year. Looking forward to seeing them on track, that’s when I think we’ll really be able to appreciate the changes
Miguel Sampaio (@gordess)
21st February 2017, 15:00
Really disapointed with the livery… I really think last year’s was a lot better (the racing yellow, not the testing black).
And really dislike the fin, even more now because what I hadn’t noticed in the Sauber (probably because it was black) is that the fin streches a long way back and is a lot higher than the rear wing! I think it really looks bad, the FIA shouldn’t have permited the return of the shark fin!
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
21st February 2017, 15:07
The shark fins also stretched way back and were a lot higher than the rear wing in the past.
GeeMac (@geemac)
21st February 2017, 15:14
Indeed @hahostolze.
http://adn.gpupdate.net/news/106466.jpg
Miguel Sampaio (@gordess)
21st February 2017, 15:21
@geemac, @hahostolze, I didn’t even remember we had shark fins back then!! I was thinking more of these, when the shark fin was basically the same height as the rear wing:
http://adn.gpupdate.net/news/146648.jpg
All in all I think it looked less terrible then they do now!
Sravan Krishnan (@sravan-pe)
21st February 2017, 17:13
This. Exactly my thoughts.
OOliver
21st February 2017, 15:01
.<blockquoteAlain Prost, who won his final world title with Renault power in 1993, attended the launch in his capacity as special advisor to the team. The four-times champion predicted the new, wider generation of F1 cars reminded him of the old days, would increase the challenge for drivers and make the sport more spectacular.
I hope he knows these cars now come with power steering, drink dispenser and an audio jukebox.
nelson piquet
21st February 2017, 15:25
call it progress, maybe you should watch the 1983 season instead of 2017?
GechiChan (@gechichan)
21st February 2017, 15:37
you won that year, didn’t you Nelson?
nelson piquet
21st February 2017, 22:20
yes it was pretty good
Biggsy
21st February 2017, 15:02
I really don’t see much difference. The fact that the rear wing is lower barely has any weight on the overall aesthetics of these cars. 2008 cars looked so much better. Whole this rule change seems so pointless and superficial.
nelson piquet
21st February 2017, 15:07
2008 was a mess, i think this are the best looking cars since 1997
Tony Mansell
21st February 2017, 16:01
97 was a high water mark and these aren’t there. Too many appendages but better than the last step change in 2008
Damon (@damon)
21st February 2017, 15:08
“Whole this rule change seems so pointless and superficial.”
That’s a weird thing to say. Wider cars look better. Fact. And looks as such are superficial. But the whole point was to improve the looks (amongst others), so the changes are not pointless.
Strontium (@strontium)
21st February 2017, 15:13
@damon wide cars don’t “look better. Fact.”, they “look better. Opinion.”
Personally I think they do look better too but it doesn’t mean everybody has to agree
swh1386 (@swh1386)
21st February 2017, 15:13
I don’t think we’ll get a real perspective of the size and shape until we see them on track
Mashiat (@mashiat)
21st February 2017, 17:26
@damon Perhaps you should learn the difference between facts and opinions.
Biggsy
21st February 2017, 18:31
@damon
You need to learn the meaning of word “fact”. And your point about point of the rules being to improve looks, is why is say it was superficial.
SM
21st February 2017, 15:14
You will notice it much more when the cars are racing due to the camera angles used
bosyber (@bosyber)
21st February 2017, 15:17
The back certainly looks very different Biggsy, as @damon alludes too, wider looking cars do look less like a limousine.
I wasn’t really super convinced we needed the bigger tyres, but then looking at the Williams, and this car from the back, that looks a lot better to be hanging behind for laps on end than it did last year :p
Also, the RS17 doesn’t seem as long in the nose as the Sauber, making the width stand out more, and the side-vane looks very different too, as does moving up those cooling slots besides the engine air-intake.
Dom (@3dom)
21st February 2017, 19:19
The cars do look ace from the back @bosyber
Hugh (@hugh11)
21st February 2017, 17:04
2008 looked horrible, with those stupid front wings
Damon (@damon)
21st February 2017, 15:02
I just finished watching the event live.
The shark fin is ugly and so is the humped nose. The front wing looks retardedly complex and one can only imgaine how much more garbage they will add onto it later.
Tim-Oliver Weiß
21st February 2017, 15:04
Best looking car so far!
Tayyib Abu
21st February 2017, 15:04
It looks very aggressive. Very striking and muscular. I like the shark fins and I liked them in 2010. They make it look very mean. These regs seemed to have worked from the looks point of view. Thats a bad mans race car!
Michal (@michal2009b)
21st February 2017, 15:05
As we really needed more black on liveries…
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
21st February 2017, 15:05
Much better than last year’s livery! Yeah, they combined it with black, but black, yellow and white are part of Renault, so it’s appropiate.
Ed Marques (@edmarques)
21st February 2017, 15:07
Loved it.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
21st February 2017, 15:09
Striking to realise how much longer these cars are than previous cars. Compare to 2008, but also 2009 and later. Those cars looked more compact and more in balance. Bigger tires help the picture a bit in 2017 but the cars look ungainly long, especially with the still rather naked sidepods.
Matthijs (@matthijs)
21st February 2017, 15:27
@hahostolze When you see the side-by-side comparison that @keithcollantine made for Sauber and Williams, the difference in length seems minimal.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
21st February 2017, 15:35
@hahostolze I was about to comment about this too. So far, none of the cars look wider, they just look incredibly long! that shot from above really makes you realize that these cars wouldn’t look out of place alongside intercity trains… That littke R27 from the picture looks so much better proportioned (even on that weird livery). Sure it had a small tank but today’s cars use less fuel and have 4 cylinders less, they shouldn’t look this long!
swh1386 (@swh1386)
21st February 2017, 15:10
Like it!
– Most likely an interim test livery like last year
– Liking the shark fins too – but what purpose do they serve? I understand the need back in the F-duct days but we saw these back in 2008 and they’ve been absent since
GeeMac (@geemac)
21st February 2017, 15:18
@swh1386 It helps to keep turbulent air away from the rear wing, especially while the car is in yaw (i.e. when cornering).
Cuky
21st February 2017, 15:19
They control the airflow to the rear wing when cornering to have more consistent downforce. They were introduced in 2008. by Renault and by the end of the season copied by many teams.
At the end of 2010 season they added an imaginery box in front of the rear wing where no bodywork could be placed so to prevent teams from running with F-Duct systems. That meant that sharkfins were much smaller and in 2011. it was only used by HRT. Red Bull trialed it in pre-season testing, but opted not to use it.
Bustertje
21st February 2017, 15:25
They weren’t needed with the high rear wings. Now with the lower rear wing, they kind of stabilize and guide the air flow over the rear wing.
vibjorn
21st February 2017, 15:11
love it espesially from the rear looking forwards, man it looks like a real f1 car again and very very fast
the tyres are sooo important. it`s the best looking of the 3 cars so far
if only they could get rid of the Fish gill front wings, and its a bit long i think
but it`s a huge step in the right direction
can` wait to see it in action
Torg22
21st February 2017, 15:13
How strange, I was thinking that this livery would get a massive thumbs up from everybody. It looks heaps better than last years bland yellow livery, to me that looked really half hearted. This year it looks bold and somewhat similar to the 2010 car, which for me anyway can only be a good thing as I thought it was the best F1 livery in years. I do agree with the shark fins though, does make the cars look a bit strange. So far i’m a happy boy in general, love the new Sauber and really digging this Renault.
G. (#F1insperations) (@greggriffiths)
21st February 2017, 15:14
dont agree that this is better. i didtn want the same as last year but it would have been better than this. thats too much black – fo rme at least. it woudl have helped to have wider stirpes towards the back of the car and over the sidepods. but i still dont hate it. :):)
the car – aesthetics – exactly what i wanted to see (an im one of the few who doesnt mind the shark fins) all in – a car im itching to see on the track
G. (#F1insperations) (@greggriffiths)
21st February 2017, 15:20
re look – i thought the black was shiny like last years test car (which i detested) – but that matte is winning me over the more i see it. im even more itchy ;))
G. (#F1insperations) (@greggriffiths)
21st February 2017, 15:42
Another relook and I’m doubting my first judgment…Still would have liked more yellow…But that image from the top makes it look a lot more outstanding…Good work
G. (#F1insperations) (@greggriffiths)
21st February 2017, 16:54
ok – heres a shock – new images = i am now back in luv with the Renault F1 Car (RS17)
JC
21st February 2017, 15:14
Actually looks pretty good. Looking forward to seeing these new cars on track.
I also liked how the French accent saying “rookie” sounded like “wookie” during the presentation. Hope the updated PUs have a decent wookie roar :)
bosyber (@bosyber)
21st February 2017, 15:36
Noticed that too @JC, it made me go – huh? then cluckle as I got it was ‘rookie’ they meant :)
JammyB
21st February 2017, 15:15
Quite interesting that Williams are the only team thus far that don’t have a proper shark fin, be really nice if there is a lot of variety this year from team to team.
G. (#F1insperations) (@greggriffiths)
21st February 2017, 15:21
dont count your chickens – williams only sent out a computer mockup. not that it would be a bad thing for there to be no shark fin ;)
The Blade Runner (@)
21st February 2017, 15:21
A handsome car except for the nose.
Love the shark fin. From the rear quarter it looks Batmobile-esque!
As for the livery, it seems to be sitting uncomfortably between last year’s Renault and the Lotuses it replaced.
montreal95 (@montreal95)
21st February 2017, 15:24
Beautiful car! A bit less black and no shark fin and it would be perfect. Nevertheless the look of the cars so far is definitely an improvement over previous generation
G. (#F1insperations) (@greggriffiths)
21st February 2017, 15:42
Well summed up
Newfangled (@newfangled)
21st February 2017, 15:27
They do kind of look like boats.
Matthew Coyne
21st February 2017, 15:32
Nice car overall but I HATE these engine covers, they should have banned the shark fins they ruin they curves of the car imo
PT (@pt)
21st February 2017, 15:46
@Matthew Coyne
Yeah, couldn’t these strategic group boffins have gone just that much further to ban these shark fins. If they do something, why can’t they do it perfectly?
Philip (@philipgb)
21st February 2017, 15:47
I’m not a fan of this or Sauber so far. Because of how long they are they don’t even look that wide, they just look huge.
tim
21st February 2017, 17:55
Yes, the proportions aren’t right. The 2016 cars with 2017 tires looked more aggressive because the tires dominated in a way they don’t with the new regs. Sad. I miss the proportions of the early 2000s cars. The fat tires, short wheelbases, big wings. That was aggressive. This is … LMP1-esque in a way.
Maciek (@maciek)
21st February 2017, 15:47
I dunno, maybe it’s the uninspired livery, but this doesn’t do much for me… and I’m really hating on the shark fins… why are they back?
JeffreyJ
21st February 2017, 16:36
To stabalize the airco to the real wing. I don’t like them either. It makes the car look like a sailboat to me.
Johnny stick
21st February 2017, 18:02
I think the shark fins will be gone in a few races. I dont think they work as good in the real world as in the wind tunnel.
Will Goodyear (@godofwine)
21st February 2017, 15:51
That’s not a shark fin; it’s just an estate.
Jeffrey (@jeffreyj)
21st February 2017, 16:00
The cars are longer and not much wider at all imho.
Both the Sauber yesterday and now the Renault seems to have a ‘size-zero’ approach to the packaging, resulting in very tight side pods. The only things that make the ‘car’ 2m wide is the bardgebords that stick out and the width of the plank. Longer, heavier but not really wider….. I have to agree with Hamilton here, it looks more like a boat than anything else.
The frontwings look a little bit more agressive the ‘sweaped-back’ effect is less than I anticipated, they seem to be keeping the square looking noses with the thumb-thingy sticking out like a..eh… sore thumb and the shark vin takes away from the focus on the lower/wider rear wing and makes it look even more like a sailing boat to me.
As for the Renault livery, I kinda like it but it’s underwhelming. The black top and yellow legs on the overalls are terrible imho. I did think it was cool that Renault made an event out of it though, teams don’t do that too much anymore wich makes F1 seem less important.
Jorge Lardone (@jorge-lardone)
21st February 2017, 16:10
Interesting, but ooo much black for my taste.
Jorge Lardone (@jorge-lardone)
21st February 2017, 16:10
Interesting, but too much black for my taste.
Michael Brown (@)
21st February 2017, 16:16
The problem with last year’s Renault was not enough black. This year there’s a little too much black, but I think it looks much better than last year.
Awesome livery, but compared to the best yellow liveries – Branson-Hedges Jordan and Renault 2010 – it’s not as good.
C
21st February 2017, 16:27
If only the front wing were to be smaller. d
Rick Lopez (@viscountviktor)
21st February 2017, 16:28
I like it.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
21st February 2017, 16:35
Oh dear. The overalls. They are so terrible. Urgh.
Jorge Olivier
21st February 2017, 23:55
Lol, I thought the same.
Dmitry (@)
21st February 2017, 16:37
Those new cars are kind of better looking… but they look “forced” at the same time. Don’t know why. Something is unnatural about them.
BW
21st February 2017, 16:56
I like the colors – definitely looks mean. Maybe there’s a little too much black. The front wings on the new cars just look too big and complicated to me. Maybe they could simplify them sometime in the future. I’m sure that would cut down on costs. Also, the floors look disproportionately huge as well. I think I will refer to them as a pie plate.
Racecar is racecar backwards
21st February 2017, 16:57
With the cars seemingly getting longer every year will they ever have to have a shorter wheelbase chassis just for Monaco. I can see the hilarious scenes as they all pile in to the hairpin on the first lap only to get stuck and cause a massive jam.
Mangy Black Sheep (@mangyblacksheep)
21st February 2017, 17:39
Why are people so down on the shark fins? They look fine to me.
Michael Brown (@)
21st February 2017, 17:58
What is the aerodynamic benefit of a shark fin?
Johnny stick
21st February 2017, 17:59
F1 should be more like yatch racing. At the end of the season, every team can look at the cars from the other teams. This way teams only have an advantage for one year plus as long as it takes to copy and implement the earth shaking breakthroughs.
Kenny
21st February 2017, 18:04
My first reaction to the front view is that the combination of the suspension arms and the front wing give the car a “skeletal” look. Interesting but not aesthetically appealing for me.
Re: the livery:
Side view: the sharp cut off from yellow to black half way back is rather jarring and abrupt. It’s like two separate designs were stuck together.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
21st February 2017, 18:33
Well… The fins are terrible… But all other details are awesome.
Also, why are cars so long… Weight increase and boom they grow in length.
Cars would look better shorter and finless.
Tommy Scragend
21st February 2017, 18:36
Best of the three so far.
Really don’t like the shark fins though. I can understand why they have them – aerodynamics gets you more points than aesthetics, after all – but they just look terrible. Can someone invent invisibility paint?
Ashwin (@redbullf1)
21st February 2017, 18:51
I agree with the ‘too much black’, but yeah looks mean and cool.
I can live with the nose too.
John G (@jfever78)
21st February 2017, 19:13
Gorgeous car and livery. Beautiful, clean use of two tone. I prefer a nice simple livery, can’t stand when they’re too busy. Also, those front wing supports are stunning. And strangely enough I like the shark fin this time around, I guess the WEC helped me get used to them. Overall these new cars are a huge step forward in aesthetics, they look like proper GP cars again. The thumb nose is my only complaint.
StephenH
21st February 2017, 19:15
Looks like they’re running a lot of rake on that car, based on the side-one shot … one wonders how it will compare to the Red Bull in that respect.
Johnny stick
22nd February 2017, 6:40
Red bull seems to run twice as much rake as everyone else. I heard this year the red bull drivers will be standing not sirtting in the cars.
bull mello (@bullmello)
21st February 2017, 19:48
We couldn’t decide whether to make it yellow or black…
Jorge Lardone (@jorge-lardone)
21st February 2017, 22:17
+1
AmbroseRPM (@ambroserpm)
21st February 2017, 21:45
The new cars look fantastic so far. Whether or not they will race well or not is to be seen. Cannot wait to see these cars in action in Melbourne!
Strangely Brown (@irukaviking)
21st February 2017, 21:59
Aggressive and gorgeous!! I like it a lot! :)
Michael (@cavman99)
21st February 2017, 23:19
The wheelbases are huge! Thanks driver is now miles away from the rear wheels! Looks ungainly.
It’s probably to accommodate the longer, higher diffuser without making the engine and gearbox higher, raising the COG. Still, disappointing.
Johnny stick
22nd February 2017, 6:43
So instead of making fhe car longer, do the rules allow tunnel type of diffusers?
Gabriel (@rethla)
22nd February 2017, 6:01
Its looking really good but i think the cars are to long and its especially visible on this car. They should shorten them by 1m.
BasCB (@bascb)
22nd February 2017, 6:47
Hm, looks like there are some interesting details on this car. For example the way how they extended the FW pillars to form the airflow.
I think the livery would look better with more yellow, less black in the back though. And has anyone noticed that they don’t seem to have too many sponsors more than Sauber showed?