Renault unveil new car for forthcoming Formula One season

The former world champions finished ninth out of 11 last year on their return to the sport

Renault finished ninth out of 11 last year with drivers Kevin Magnussen of Denmark and Briton Jolyon Palmer (XPB Images/Press Association Images)

Renault unveiled their 2017 Formula One car on Tuesday and said they will target fifth place in next season's championship after struggling among the backmarkers during the last campaign.

The former world champions, who returned as full constructors in 2016 after taking over the failing Lotus team, finished ninth out of 11 last year with drivers Kevin Magnussen of Denmark and Briton Jolyon Palmer.

Magnussen has since left for US-owned rivals Haas F1 and been replaced by experienced German Nico Hulkenburg from Force India. Russian Sergey Sirotkin retains the role of development driver.

The team, whose engine plant is in France and main factory in England, have invested heavily in adding headcount and infrastructure over the past year with the aim of returning to the top by 2020.

“We expect to be fifth in the championship,” Renault Sport Racing President Jerome Stoll told the audience in a central London hall before the black and yellow RS17 car was presented to pounding music and strobe lights. “We are hungry for the podium, hungry for success,” he added.

Renault Sport F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul, who has effectively been running the team since the departure of principal Frederic Vasseur in January, said the key word for the year ahead was 'integration'.

Reuters