Preview to the german GP to Renault Sport F1

The 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship now makes its way to Germany for round 10 of 19, the German Grand Prix, held this year at the twisty, undulating 3.2 mile N�rburgring on the edge of the Eifel mountains and forest range to the north of the country.

The German Grand Prix is the home race for two drivers from Renault-powered teams; Lotus Renault GP�s Nick Heidfeld and Red Bull Racing-Renault�s Sebastian Vettel. Renault engines have won at the N�rburgring five times, the first victory coming in 1995 with Michael Schumacher and the fifth at the 2009 German Grand Prix with Red Bull�s Mark Webber.


A lap of Germany from an engine point of view
Sector one
There�s a long run from the start finish line to the first corner, the Castrol-S, a second gear hairpin where revs will drop very low: just 9,500rpm. Then it�s straight into the Mercedes-Arena; a second to third gear complex taken with an average speed of around 62 mph. Through this section the engine needs to have good braking control on the entry to corners and good traction on the exit, however also needs to be responsive enough to accelerate out of the arena down the short straight leading down to turn 5 where cars will hit 167 mph before the braking zone.

Sector two
Turn 5 is a fourth gear left hander that quickly tightens into turn 6, a right hander taken in third gear, but then it�s back on the power for another short burst before the next heavy braking zone for the Dunlop-Kehre hairpin. Like turn 1, this hairpin is taken in 2nd and engine revs drop quite low � just 10,500rpm. The driver then needs a responsive engine to accelerate for the �straight� leading through turns 8 and 9. Even though turns 8 and 9 are taken in sixth at 155 mph � not normally top speed � the drivers will be flat and will pull around 3.5g through this section. They will then drop from 181 mph to 90 mph and third gear for turn 10.

Sector three
Sector three is the shortest section in time, taking around 24 seconds to complete. It�s also the highest average speed on the track and the DRS activation zone, which comes 62m after turn 11. Drivers will be able to make use of the DRS on the 755m straight from turn 11 to 13 before braking for turn 13, or the Veedol chicane, a second gear chicane that sees drivers brake from 189 mph to just 56 mph. The track then opens back out for a final sprint to the last corner, a third gear right hander taken at 75 mph, before rejoining the pit straight for another lap.

View from R�mi Taffin, head of Renault Sport F1 track operations
The N�rburgring is a medium speed track with an average of 118 mph and a maximum speed of 189 mph in qualifying. The average is balanced out by a mix of low speed corners, such as turns 1 and 7 where the cars will run between 47 and 59 mph and the four long straights. As a result the engine has to be driveable through the lower revs but also offer responsiveness and top end power. In particular we will work carefully on the selection of the top gear ratios since seventh gear will be engaged four times a lap, a higher than average usage.

Track conditions change a lot over the weekend at the N�rburgring. Even though the circuit is used frequently by other motorsport formulae over the year, the fact Formula 1 only visits once every two years means that fresh rubber will be laid down during the weekend. As a result we will run less aggressive engine maps at the start of the event to allow the driver to be smoother on the throttle and fine tune towards a more aggressive mapping as the grip improves.

Did you know�
The back to back Grands Prix in Germany and Hungary will see the Renault Sport F1 trucks depart from the N�rburgring on Sunday night to arrive at the Hungaroring in Budapest by Tuesday. To supply three teams RSF1 takes four trucks to each race carrying five tonnes of equipment. One truck is stationed next to the Red Bull Racing engineering area, a second next to Lotus Renault GP and a third � used principally as a communications �common space� � next to Team Lotus. The other truck is parked in the truck parking area to the exterior of the circuit. Approximately 30 people attend each race, six engineers and technicians per team, plus five logistics and a small marketing and management team.

| Renault

Renault Twingo R1 for the MSA British Rally Championship

Renault Sport Technologies will launch two single make rally championships in the UK starting next year. The UK Twingo R1 and R2 Trophies will run alongside the MSA British Rally Championship, following each event across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man from 2012.

Renault is unique in being the only manufacturer to have a car homologated in each of the three FIA two wheel drive classes. �R1 to IRC� may not be the catch phrase that defines the new Twingo Trophies, but it is the key principle behind the initiative, which will focus not only on providing close competition, but also give drivers an opportunity to progress through the categories in Renault rally cars.



The Twingo Trophy cars will be based on the 133hp Twingo Renaultsport and are aimed at budget conscious buyers, coming in the form of motorsport kits featuring all the required parts.

The Twingo R1 Trophy, cars from which can participate in all regional, national and international rallies, is based on a production car fitted with essential safety equipment, the R1's 133hp 1.6 litre engine and gearbox being identical to the production model.

The Trophy organisers will provide spares and technical support for R1, R2 and R3 Renaults on all rounds of the UK Trophies, forming a Renault village in the service areas.


The prize structure is yet to be confirmed but is likely to take the form of parts vouchers on each event, plus overall prizes for each of the Twingo R1 Trophy, Twingo R2 Trophy and for the highest placed Clio R3 driver registered in the MSA British Rally Championship.

The overall prizes will be geared to progression from R1 to IRC, helping each winner to move forward in their rally careers. Prices for the kits and parts are also to be confirmed, but will be in line with European price lists as Italy, Spain and Switzerland all have Renault one make rally series.

RENAULT Sport Technologies� CEO, Patrice Ratti said:
�Renault Sport Technologies intensifies its presence in UK rallying and the creation of a Trophy for Twingo in R1 and R2 categories makes me very happy. The remarkable road holding abilities of Twingo Renaultsport 133 will help young rally drivers to compete in a national championship, at an affordable price. This new trophy will reinforce the image of Renaultsport cars in the UK market which is extremely important for our brand and where Renault Sport Technologies has been enjoying a constant growth in the recent years."

The championships will be managed by former BRC Press Officer Simon Moss who has plenty of experience of one makes. Previously the Press Officer for Peugeot Sport�s 206 Super Cup and Fiat�s Stilo Rally Cup, he has worked in the motorsport industry for over 20 years.


�I became involved in one-makes in 1999 when I co-drove in the 106 Cup and with a mechanical background I think I�ve seen the sport from most angles. I think the controlled environment of any one make series is an excellent place for talent to shine and after seeing the Twingos in the BRC for two years, I think the series will provide great focal point for competition.�

Two customer days are planned in the near future, the first expected to be around the Ulster Rally in Northern Ireland in mid August, the second running alongside the BRC Open Day in early September.

| Renault

Seven Mercedes-Benz cars for the 2011 Silveretta electric car race

Following last year's successful debut, from 7 to 9 July 2011 the second Silvretta electric car rally takes place in the Montafon region of Austria. This time Daimler AG is competing with a total of seven electric cars of the Mercedes-Benz and smart brands. At the start for the second time: the smart fortwo electric drive and the B-Class F-CELL. A first-time participant this year is the battery-electric A-Class E-CELL. The highlight of the rally is again the highly efficient super sports car SLS AMG E-CELL, whose market launch is scheduled for 2013.

Speed is not of the essence in the three-day rally that leads through the Vorarlberg mountain landscape, but regularity and skill. Covering a total distance of almost 300 kilometers and a total difference in altitude of 5500 meters, the electric car rally is almost twice as long as the premiere in 2010 and, as a comparison of the courses shows, far more demanding. Gradients of up to 14 percent must be negotiated with precision. The driver teams are put through various trials in which hundredths of seconds count in the scoring. But they will be rewarded with views of the picturesque Montafon mountains. The rally takes the locally emission-free, noiseless electric cars through the Austrian provinces Vorarlberg and Tyrol.
Vorarlberg province is one of the biggest model regions in Europe for the introduction and development of electric mobility. The Austrian energy supply company illwerke vkw, a partner of the Silvretta electric car rally, supports the model region under the name VLOTTE - an artificial coinage from Vorarlberg and Flotte, the German for fleet. Illwerke vkw is steadily expanding the necessary infrastructure for electrically powered vehicles in the region and in this way promotes the emergence of a proper electric mobility network.



Electric cars from Mercedes-Benz and smart
By taking part in the electric rally, Daimler demonstrates once again how practical and reliable its electric cars already are today. The higher demands of this year's rally pose no obstacle to the competing vehicles.

The vehicles made available for the tour show just how varied the Daimler range of electric cars with battery or fuel cell already is today. With the smart fortwo electric drive, the ideal battery-electric urban car takes the start in the rally. With a range of 135 kilometers the electric smart delivers loads of driving pleasure in urban settings.

The Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL runs on hydrogen and has a locally emission-free range of about 400 kilometers. Just recently Mercedes-Benz demonstrated its workaday practicality and technical maturity in the F-CELL World Drive: from late January through early June, three Mercedes B-Class F-CELL cars drove round the world, covering more than 30,000 kilometers through 14 countries on four continents. The vehicle thus suggests itself especially for use over longer distances and can be completely refueled in less than three minutes. Also, for the first time the A-Class E-CELL is competing in the electric car rally. It offers lots of space, variability and utmost comfort - combined with zero emissions. With an operating range of over 200 kilometers it is well-suited for locally emission-free urban and interurban travel. All models are fully up to production standard and already are available to selected customers.

A highlight of the electric rally is the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
E-CELL. The development mule for the car that will come out on the market in 2013 proves on the winding Alpine course that dynamic driving pleasure in combination with an electric drive is not a contradiction at all. The fascinating gullwing car with the emission-free high-tech drive featuring a peak output of 392 kW and peak torque of 880 Newton meters clearly is the trendsetter in the super sports car market segment.

| Mercedes-Benz

Williams and Renault, Formula One partnership from 2012

Renault Sport F1, the F1 division of Renault, will supply AT&T Williams with its championship-winning V8 power units for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. In addition to the supply of its Formula One engines, the newly-formed alliance includes several other exciting business and marketing opportunities, with a view to continuing after the introduction of the new, energy efficient, turbocharged V6 engines in 2014.

The partnership is an exciting opportunity for both Renault Sport F1 and AT&T Williams. The original Anglo-French alliance enjoyed a hugely successful association between 1989 and 1997, yielding four Drivers� and five Constructors� titles and 63 race wins. It also produced some of the most evocative images of the 1990s, including Nigel Mansell�s British Grand Prix win in 1992; Alain Prost�s fourth world title and the classic duels between Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher.


Renault Sport F1 president, Bernard Rey, commented, �Renault remains in Formula One to achieve success in a cost efficient way and the partnership with Williams has great potential to add to the results we have notched up over recent years with our other partner teams. Williams has recently taken several important steps, both commercially and technically, to update its operations and we feel that this partnership is another important step in its rigorous plan. It reiterates how determined the team is to achieve results, which matches perfectly with our own objectives.

From 2012 onwards the fact that we will have four partners puts us ahead of other engine manufacturers in terms of market share, but off track it will also enable us to further use Formula One as a marketing platform for our parent company, Renault, to try to bring a bit of this association to our fans and our customers worldwide.

Of course there�s also a great pride in reviving the Williams-Renault name. Together, we produced racing cars that are recognised for their technical innovation and it is still Renault�s most successful period in F1 to date. It�s a hugely exciting opportunity for both Renault and Williams.�

Frank Williams, Team Principal of AT&T Williams, added, �We are delighted and excited by our new partnership with Renault. This reunites the F1 team with a leading car manufacturer and complements our new relationship with Jaguar. At the same time, we are grateful to Cosworth: they have been a fair and reliable partner both on and off the track for the past two years and we look forward to working with them across our business in the future.

�Our previous relationship with Renault was one of the most successful in Williams� history but we will not allow ourselves to dwell too much on the past. We must look to the future and continue to re-build our on-track reputation, which I am hopeful that today�s announcement will help us to do.�

Q&A WITH ADAM PARR, CHAIRMAN, WILLIAMS F1

Q. Williams F1 have confirmed a return to Renault engines. How many years is the initial partnership for and what can you tell us about the terms of the agreement?
AP: This partnership is for the long-term. It will see Renault provide Williams with its championship-winning RS27 V8 engines for 2012 and 2013. Meanwhile we are already working on an extension for the new engine formula which arrives in 2014.

Q. Why did Williams F1 choose Renault?
AP: Renault is serious about success and so are we. They compete in Formula One because it�s at the cutting edge of developing technologies and because it is the pinnacle of motorsport. This is also why we compete in the sport and together we believe we can return AT&T Williams to our former competitiveness.

Q. How did the deal with Renault come about and what does this mean for Williams F1 as a business?
AP: For Williams, it has been a strategic priority to align ourselves with world-class automotive companies. Just two months ago we announced our partnership with Jaguar to create the C-X75 supercar together � a project that we both expect will lead onto a more general collaboration on high-performance road vehicles. Today, we have announced a partnership with Renault: they are not only making a Championship-winning engine, but they are independent, totally committed to Formula One and, of course, there is a resonance and heritage to Williams-Renault that creates a real buzz for both of us. So, in a short period we have signed two critical partnerships which will (literally and figuratively) power us forwards in coming years.

Q. How will the Renault announcement affect the development of the FW34?
AP: Of course, changing engines requires extra work, but with relatively stable regulations for 2012, the change gives us an extra opportunity for development. We have a very capable Design Office led by Ed Wood and they will be working with Renault�s technicians, who are some of the finest in the world. Development of the FW34 is progressing well and the timing is not going to be an issue for the team. This announcement also coincides well with the recruitment of Mike Coughlan, Jason Somerville and Mark Gillan to the technical team. Together with Ed Wood, we believe we have now the right technical leadership and engine to help us take the next step.

Q. AT&T Williams will be the fourth team that Renault supplies engines to. Is this a problem?
AP: Not at all. Given the massive investment that Renault has made in its V8 and will make in the V6, they need a decent group of teams to supply � remember that they do not have their own team and so linking up with a number of successful chassis makers is essential. In addition, the number of engines now used each season is very small. From over 200 per team a decade ago we are now down to about a tenth of that. From 2014 it may well drop by half again. Also with limited, single-car testing four teams gives Renault much more data for reliability and whatever development will be allowed in the future. Renault has always shown total integrity in offering parity to its partners and that is another essential factor for all of us.

Q. This new partnership means you will be ending your relationship with Cosworth. How will this affect the relationship with Cosworth for the remainder of the 2011 season?
AP: We had an understanding with Cosworth that continuing beyond this year was dependent on the longer-term prospects with the new engine. So, this was foreseen. Having said that, Cosworth is an excellent engine partner. We are enormously grateful to them for all the hard work they have put into our partnership and we know that they will continue to work tirelessly for the remainder of this year. Whilst the end of the season will be the end of our on-track relationship with Cosworth, we are looking forward to working closely with them on our Jaguar project and continuing our partnership in this way.

Q. The last Williams-Renault partnership (1989 � 1997) was one of the most successful periods in the team�s history. Therefore there is a lot of expectation following its revival. Does this put more pressure on the team to improve its performance on the racetrack?
AP: We constantly put pressure on ourselves to improve our performance regardless of expectations. We�re not satisfied with just finishing races or picking up a few points, our aim is to win and we want to put ourselves back in a position to do so. Clearly our performance at the moment is not where would like it to be, but we are doing all we can to rectify that and this partnership is another step in that process. This partnership is about the future. In a sense, it is about earning the right to inherit the past.

Q. Williams F1 has projects with Porsche, Jaguar Land Rover and now has a deal with Renault. Are there any plans to make a road car with Renault?
AP: Today�s announcement is about a Formula One engine partnership. Our venture with Jaguar is to produce a supercar but it does not preclude us from entering into arrangements that do not compete with the C-X75. Let�s see�

Q. Will this deal benefit the team sponsorship-wise?
AP: Absolutely. It will bring technical and commercial benefits for Williams and for those interested in being part of this amazing project. Who would not want to be part of it?

| Renault | Williams

Four "gullwing cars" each finished among the top ten at the ADAC GT Masters Season Opener

The customer teams with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 in the ADAC GT Masters season opener at Oscherskeben showed a good team performance. In both races on Sunday and Monday, four gullwing cars each finished among the top ten.

Thus, the customer sports programme of Mercedes-AMG with the production-oriented gullwing car gains more and more momentum. Based on the same concept as its standard version, the SLS AMG GT3 stood its ground in the highly competitive field of almost 40 top-class sports cars with good lap times.



The best SLS AMG GT3 driver pairing on Sunday were Lance David Arnold/Andreas Zuber (Primajob Team Heico) in fifth place. In the second race, Christiaan Frankenhout/Andreas Wirth (Heico Motorsport) also achieved fifth position. The SLS AMG GT3 customer teams scored a total of 104 drivers points, more than the drivers of every other brand.

Bernd Schneider, record champion of the DTM with five title wins and today AMG brand ambassador, instructor and test driver for Mercedes-AMG: The four customer teams entering the SLS AMG GT3 at Oschersleben all did a great job and achieved altogether eight top ten positions out of two races. The SLS AMG GT3 stood its ground in this hard fought race and we now look forward to the upcoming events.


Customer Sports: SLS AMG GT3s entered by private teams
The SLS AMG GT3s have been entered exclusively by private teams. Heico Motorsport started with three SLS AMG GT3 cars, Black Falcon with two, MS RACING and Primajob Team Heico with one each. At Oschersleben, the ADAC GT Masters began its fifth season. Among the field of 38 cars, the SLS AMG GT3 met renowned competitors from seven other brands. Thus, the series is like tailor-made for the SLS AMG GT3 and the Customer Sports Programme Mercedes-AMG started for the gullwing car. Like in 2010, both races are broadcast live on German channel kabel eins which means that the ADAC GT Masters is the only German racing series besides the DTM which can be seen live on TV.




| Mercedes-Benz