1 Racing Mind’s 2020 Formula 1 Mid-Season Team Report Card: Renault F1 Team

Photo Credit: Mark Sutton LAT Images/Pirelli

Team Grade: B

Driver’s Grade: 

Daniel Ricciardo: B

Esteban Ocon: C+

Summary of First Nine Races:

Since reacquiring their team from Lotus GP in 2016, the Renault factory Formula 1 team has been mired deep in the middle of the racing pack leading up to the 2020 season. Aspiring to be among at least the top-five in the open wheel racing tour and potentially a podium-contending make this season, the Renault F1 Team appears to have made several steps in the right direction. 

For 2020, the Renault F1 Team welcomed Frenchman Esteban Ocon as a teammate to Australian Daniel Ricciardo. The more experienced Ricciardo has been the leader for the squad posting three fourth place finishes as well as the fastest lap of the race in the Belgian Grand Prix. His recent run at the Tuscan Grand Prix almost netted the organization its first podium result since Renault’s returning stint as a Formula 1 constructor. Renault’s R.S. 20 race car has shown itself to be a formidable competitor on the grid for 2020. The vehicle apparently excels on tracks with higher overall speeds showing up strong at Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps as well as Monza. 

One of only two driver changes to occur throughout the Formula 1 grid over the off-season, Esteban Ocon’s move to join Renault in this unusual season may be hampering the progress of the Frenchman. Being a reserve driver for the Mercedes-AMG F1 team last year, Ocon’s 2020 campaign started with the competitor making up for a one-year absence from grand prix action. Esteban Ocon has finished in the two-10 for five of the nine races so-far on this year’s calendar posting a career-tying fifth place at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Prediction for Rest of the 2020 Season:

The Renault F1 Team remains in striking distance of third place in the constructors championship after nine events in 2020 sitting 23 points away from the spot currently held by McLaren Racing. At least one podium result for the Renault F1 Team is very possible in the remaining races of the 2020 season. Daniel Ricciardo, set to leave the Renault squad for a seat at McLaren for 2021, appears very committed to departing his current team on a high note.

The remainder of the 2020 Formula 1 calendar will serve as the late opportunity to see the Renault brand’s greatness in the sport. In early September, Groupe Renault announced the organization will be rebranded as the Alpine F1 Team. Additional planning ahead for the 2021 season also has two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso reuniting his association with the team.