World Series by Renault 2013
While pre-season collective testing continues apace, Renault Sport Technologies CEO Patrice Ratti headed to Central Paris with Alain Prost, David Coulthard and Charles Pic to launch the ninth World Series by Renault season, which begins with the opening Formula Renault 3.5 Series race at Monza on 6 April.
Accompanied at the evening event by three Formula One drivers spanning three generations – David Coulthard, Charles Pic and four-time world champion and Renault Ambassador Alain Prost – Ratti expressed his delight at the excitement generated by the 2012 World Series by Renault campaign. All four championships – Formula Renault 3.5 Series, Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, Eurocup Megane Trophy and Eurocup Clio – attracted large crowds wherever they went, including first-time destination Russia.
“Given the problems the car industry is experiencing, the results have been excellent,” said Ratti. “We had 500,000 trackside spectators last year and nearly 80 million TV viewers, which shows just how successful we were. Our trip to Moscow, where the stands were full and the fans were extremely passionate, is a great example of that.”
Such success is founded on the professionalism and expertise of the teams at Renault Sport Technologies. A genuine test of their skills, the World Series by Renault has proved popular with drivers, with 60 percent of the men on this season’s Formula One grid having passed through the Formula Renault academy, among them three drivers with five world titles between them: Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel. On top of that, virtually all this season’s Formula One test drivers have come through Renault Sport Technologies’ driver development programme.
There is no question of the World Series by Renault resting on its laurels, however. Following hot on the heels of last year’s launch of the new Formula Renault 3.5, the Formula Renault 2.0 has undergone a major revamp, while the Clio Cup has also broken new ground, taking its cue from the Nouvelle Clio Renaultsport 200 EDC.
Red Bull Racing driver and the winner of 13 Formula One Grand Prix, David Coulthard will be at the wheel of the Austrian team’s Formula One world championship-winning car during the forthcoming World Series by Renault season, a challenge the Scotsman is looking forward to: “You only have to look at the Formula One grid to see that all the World Series’ hard work is bearing fruit. It’s a great finishing school for young drivers and I can’t wait to see them out on the track. I’m also delighted to be taking part in this celebration of motorsport by performing Formula One demo drives. I’d better make sure I’m in shape for it.”
Official Renault Sport Press Release.