Robert Kubica is hopeful his Renault team will take a significant step forward when it introduces some planned upgrades to this car for this week’s test in Barcelona.
“I would say we will have some upgrades,” Kubica said following last week’s test at Jerez, where the Pole was second quickest overall.
“I don’t know how big it will be. We hope for sure it will be big enough to come closer to the top teams, but we don’t know how they will improve so it is a …

Although it may be considered of rather academic interest in testing, Vitaly Petrov was higher up the timesheets than ever before in Jerez on Thursday as he managed the day’s second best lap time behind Rubens Barrichello despite hoping for a dry race track.

Robert Kubica says he has been pleased with the progress made by his Renault team in testing, despite a discreet showing in the opening two sessions.
Renault was one of the first teams to unveil its 2010 challenger, with which the French squad is aiming for a strong season after a few disappointing years.

The Renault team was one of ten to be frustrated by the weather conditions in Jerez on Wednesday. As a spell of rain makes its way across Spain, Vitaly Petrov was able to complete only one dry stint of the southwestern circuit before showers made an appearance between 10am and 5pm.
After enjoying his first Formula 1 test outing in Valencia last week, Russian Petrov kicked off Renault’s Jerez programme but will be handing the car over to Polish team-mate Robert Kubica for Thursday.

Renault technical director James Allison has praised Robert Kubica’s positive start since joining the team.
The Pole had his first test for the Enstone-based outfit at Valencia last week, and Allison is impressed with his technical feedback.
“We knew that Robert is a class act, and he was giving us very clear and good guidance in terms of set-up direction,” Allison told infomotosport.

Following the announcement of the creation of the Renault F1 Driver Programme in Valencia (Spain) on Sunday, DAMS is proud to have been chosen as a partner in this new adventure.
In 2010, it will run the two F1 Renault reserve drivers, Ho-Pin Tung and Jérôme d’Ambrosio, who will race in the GP2 Series in cars bearing the Renault colours. Thus, DAMS will become the Renault F1 Junior Team in GP2, the formula that opens the door to the top category in motor racing.

The Renault Formula 1 team launched its 2010 car at the Valencia circuit on Sunday afternoon and confirmed Vitaly Petrov as its second driver.
The new R30 was unveiled by Russian Petrov and team-mate Robert Kubica, who will form the all-new driver line-up of the French squad this year.

Renault’s 2010-spec 2.4-litre V8 Formula 1 engine burst into life at the team’s Enstone factory in England last Friday as the French marque prepares to head to Valencia for the first pre-season testing next week.
With the start-up of an engine always an exciting occasion for all involved in a team, Friday’s events signalled the first breath of the team’s R30, the first car for Robert Kubica as the Pole switches from the departed BMW.

Robert Kubica began his preparations for the 2010 season by visiting Renault’s Enstone factory to try the cockpit of his new car.
The Pole got a seat fitting in a mock-up of this year’s R30 car, also meeting up with new team boss Eric Boullier.
“I had been to the factory before when I tested for the team a few years ago, but it was great to return and see how much has changed,” said Kubica.

Flavio Briatore has ruled out returning to Formula 1 to manage another team following his exit from the sport over his involvement in the fixing of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
The Italian was given an indefinite ban from Formula 1 by the FIA after he left the Renault team, of which he had been in charge since 2000.

The Renault team will be making use of highly-developed, super-light seat belts this season after confirming a 3-year partnership with OMP Racing. The Genoa-based firm is also developing other technical equipment for the Enstone team, including driver and mechanic clothing such as race suits, boots, gloves and underwear.

Romain Grosjean’s future in Formula 1 is in doubt. The Frenchman, who replaced Nelson Piquet Jr. following the Brazilian’s sudden departure after last year’s Hungarian Grand Prix, is on the team’s list of possible drivers, according to new Team Principal Eric Boullier, albeit with the least chance of being signed up.
With Robert Kubica already established at Renault F1, the team is now believed to be making inroads with regards to its second driver. “We have made progress in our negotiations but we are still far from being able to reveal …

Flavio Briatore’s lawyer says the FIA has nothing to gain from appealing the verdict of the French court that overturned the Italian’s lifetime ban from motorsport.
“First of all we aim at having the verdict enforced. In any case, the FIA has zero chances if it decides to appeal,” Philippe Ouakrat was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport.
Ouakrat added that the verdict was a disaster for the governing body.

The FIA says it is likely to appeal against yesterday’s French court ruling which overturned Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds’ bans from international motorsport.
The former Renault team bosses had been given indefinite and five-year bans from involvement in the sport by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council over their involvement in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix scandal, which saw Nelson Piquet deliberately crash to prompt a safety car that would be advantageous for team-mate Fernando Alonso’s race-winning strategy.