2019 FORMULA 1 PIRELLI FRENCH GRAND PRIX, FACTFILE

PRESS RELEASE/Renault F1 Team – Photo: Velocity Magazine (Darin Mandy) France 2018

Renault F1 Team is in Le Castellet for the eighth race of the 2019 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the Pirelli French Grand Prix.

The Circuit 
• Circuit Paul Ricard, based in the commune of Le Castellet, has hosted 15 French Grands Prix, the first in 1971 and the latest in 2018 after a 28-year lay-off.

• Turn 11 is amongst the most strenuous corners on the calendar with drivers hitting 4.5lateral G for just over two seconds.

• Wind – specifically Le Mistral – can be a massive factor during running.

The Jabouille-Arnoux Influence 
• Jean Pierre Jabouille won his and Renault’s first Formula 1 Grand Prix at the French Grand Prix in 1979 – 40 years ago.

• Jabouille was on pole position and won over team-mate René Arnoux and Ferrari’s Gilles Villeneuve. For Arnoux, it was his first Formula 1 podium, first Formula 1 points and his and Renault’s maiden Fastest Lap, scored after a thrilling duel with Villeneuve.

• That historic day kickstarted an incredible and hugely successful relationship between Renault and Formula 1. Throughout its on-going 42-year history, Renault has 675 Grand Prix starts, 177 wins, 507 podiums, 217 pole positions, 186 Fastest Laps and 8,605.5championship points.

• Jabouille will be back behind the wheel of the race winning RS10 this weekend for celebratory laps on Saturday at 19:30 and Sunday at 13:00

Daniel’s hot lap of Paul Ricard in the new F1 2019 Game:

The Professor 
• Renault F1 Team’s Special Advisor Alain Prost enjoyed plenty of success at the French Grand Prix. He has the second most wins on French soil, behind Michael Schumacher, – including four at Circuit Paul Ricard.

• Prost won six times in France, three of which were powered by Renault: 1981 in Dijon, 1983 at Circuit Paul Ricard and 1993 at Magny-Cours. His three other wins were in consecutive years: 1988, 1989 and 1990, all at Circuit Paul Ricard.

• Alain will be with the team at this weekend’s race and will attend the Official Formula 1 Fan Forum in the FanZone on Saturday night alongside Nico Hülkenberg, Daniel Ricciardo and Cyril Abiteboul

Home success 
• As well as Jabouille’s and Prost’s victories, Renault has powered a further six wins at its home Grand Prix. In 1982, Arnoux capped off a run of four Renault wins in five years in France.

• And between 1991 and 1996, Renault powered cars won five French Grands Prix fromsix races. Nigel Mansell won back-to-back between 1991 (Paul Ricard) and 1992 (Magny-Cours), Prost in 1993, and later Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill picked up victories at Magny-Cours in 1995 and 1996 in their championship winning years.

• Renault’s latest home win was in 2005 courtesy of Fernando Alonso on his way to a maiden Drivers’ and Constructors’ title.

What’s on… 
• Renault F1 Team brings its new team and hospitality unit at this weekend’s French Grand Prix.

• A Renault ‘Booth’ will be located in the FanZone where fans will have the opportunity to meet race drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo, Academy member Anthoine Hubert and French legend Alain Prost.

• Inside the Booth, sponsors Castrol and Microsoft will initiate a BATAK Challenge and Augmented Reality Experience.

• Also in the FanZone, Renault Classic will display eleven ‘Turbo Era’ cars: the R.S.10, Renault 5 Turbo, Renault 5 Alpine Turbo, Renault 5 GT Turbo, Renault 18 Turbo, Renault 9 Turbo, Renault 11 Turbo, Renault Fuego Turbo, Renault 21 Turbo, Renault 25 Turbo, Renault Safrane Biturbo and Renault Mégane RS Trophy.

• Anthoine Hubert will run a special edition home race helmet for this weekend’s FIA Formula 2 Championship round with a small tribute to compatriot Prost

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