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. 

1 Racing Mind's 2017 Formula 1 Summer Break Report Card: Scuderia Toro Rosso

Photo Credit: Glenn Dunbar/LAT Images

Team Grade: C+

Driver Grades
Carlos Sainz Jr: B
Daniil Kvyat: D

No one in the sport of Formula 1 mistakes the fact that the Italian-based Toro Rosso race team is heavily influenced by Red Bull Racing. Both drivers competing with Red Bull Racing were recruited directly from Toro Rosso machines.

While switching back to Renault power units after a season with Ferrari power, Toro Rosso has shown no major movement away from their 2016 performance. Toro Rosso is still a steady mid-marker organization on the Formula 1 grid for 2017 with their STR12 race machine (similar to Red Bull Racing, the Renault name does not appear on Toro Rosso vehicles).

In his third consecutive season with the team, Carlos Sainz Jr has developed into a solid top-10 runner. In 11 races, the Spaniard collected championship points in seven events with his season-best performance being a sixth place at the Monaco Grand Prix. Sainz suffered retirements in all four races where is missed the top-10.

Since being ‘demoted’ back to Toro Rosso after his stint with Red Bull Racing was abruptly ended after an on-track incident in the 2016 Russian Grand Prix, Daniil Kvyat has not been able to carryover the consistency he found through 2015. Since rejoining Toro Rosso, the Russian has finished no better than ninth place. In point finishes in Australia and Spain, Kvyat crossed the line on both intenses in ninth.

Thoughts of Team for Remainder of 2017:

With exception to the unforgettable Sebastian Vettel victory at the Italian Grand Prix with the team, Toro Rosso has long-appeared content with motorsport mediocrity. Contending at the lower portion of the top-10 through qualifying and on race day, a podium result would jazz-up this otherwise humdrum group.

1 Racing Mind's 2017 Formula 1 Summer Break Report Card: Renault Sport Formula One Team

Photo Credit: Glenn Dunbar/LAT Images

Team Grade: C

Driver Grades
Nico Hulkenberg: B-
Jolyon Palmer: D+

Repurchasing their formerly-owned team late in 2015, Renault started the 2016 Formula 1 season behind the eightball. Through the entire 2016 tour, Renault Sport Formula One Team scored just eight points. 2017 has been accepted as another rebuilding year with a great deal of focus in collecting the pieces needed for better performances.

Joining Renault in 2017 was seasoned German pilot Nico Hulkenberg who brought a history of consistency with mid-marker teams in Formula 1. Hulkenberg has scored five finishes in the top-10 so far this season. The Renault race team only had three point-scoring finishes total in 2016 between both drivers. Second generation Formula 1 racer Jolyon Palmer returned to the second Renault R.S. 17. Palmer is still chasing his first point-scoring finish in a 2017 Formula 1 event.

The performance differential between the Renault Sport Formula One teammates has generally been wide. Nico Hulkenberg has proven not only to be better performing on Sunday but also shown the speed potential of the R.S. 17 in qualifying conditions. The German driver placed his Renault into the final Q3 session six times so far in 2017. Jolyon Palmer’s less than remarkable outings this season has resulted in only a few occasions where is placed higher than Hulkenberg. While most team-leading race finishes by Palmer were virtue of a retirement suffered by his teammate, he did out-place Hulkenberg at the Austrian Grand Prix while both Renault cars completed the event.  

Thoughts of Team for Remainder of 2017:

Nico Hulkenberg will likely continue being the primary breadwinner for the Renault team in 2017. Jolyon Palmer is undoubtedly eager to post points this season being one of only two regular drivers yet to register a point for 2017. It Palmer succeeds, it will only be his second time in his career. Renault’s history in Formula 1 leaves room for optimism heading forward through the remaining races of 2017 and beyond. Entering the sport in 1977 and returning in 2002 in the position as a constructor, Renault has twice been turned around into a front-running competitor after less successful opening seasons.

1 Racing Mind's 2017 Formula 1 Summer Break Report Card: Sauber F1 Team

Photo Credit: Sauber F1® Team / Sauber Motorsport AG 

Team Grade: C-

Driver Grades
Pascal Wehrlein: C+
Marcus Ericsson: D

Part of the Formula 1 grid since 1993, Peter Sauber gave up ownership of his team in the late part of 2016. Now controlled by Longbow Finance (a Swiss-based investment firm), the new owners and managers of the motorsport group appear intent to maintain the Sauber F1 Team branding. For 2017, the team acknowledges 25 years of competition in Formula 1. The Sauber team’s new owners have yet to immediately change the fortunes of the struggling organization.

After 11 races in the 2017 Formula 1 season, Sauber has scored five points coming entirely from German Pascal Wehrlein. Driving last season for the now-defunct Manor Racing team, Wehrlein missed the first two grand prix events as a result of injuries suffered in pre-season Race of Champions event. Sauber test driver Antonio Giovinazzi served as a replacement for the Australian Grand Prix and Chinese Grand Prix. Giovinazzi finished 12th in his Formula 1 debut but was involved in a massive crash at the Shanghai International Circuit. An accident closely mirroring a qualifying crash the Italian endured a day prior, Giovinazzi escaped both incidents unhurt. Participating with Sauber for a third consecutive season is Swedish pilot Marcus Ericsson. Finishing 11th place twice before the Formula 1 summer break, Ericsson hasn’t scored a Formula 1 championship point since the 2015 Italian Grand Prix.

Thoughts of Team for Remainder of 2017:

There remains a chance that the Sauber team will be able to add to their constructors’ point total for 2017 in the remaining races. However, while both Wehrlein and Ericsson will be competing to break into the rear portion of the top-10, the team’s primary devotion may be slated towards 2018. Much of the performance disadvantage with the race cars is connected to the team’s deal with Ferrari for year-old spec engines. Planning for next year, Sauber has already secured an arrangement to receive Ferrari power units built to current specifications.

1 Racing Mind's 2017 Formula 1 Summer Break Report Card: Haas F1 Team

Photo Credit: Steven Tee/LAT Images

Team Grade: C+

Driver Grades
Romain Grosjean: C
Kevin Magnussen: C+

Since debuting in 2016, the Haas F1 Team could be categorized as one of the most fun organizations to watch on a grand prix weekend. While we are currently accustomed to Mercedes AMG, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing at the front of the field, the sophomore American-derived race team has shown some impressive performances for a rather young group.

For 2017, Kevin Magnussen replaced Esteban Gutierrez at the Haas F1 Team. Leaving the Renault organization, Magnussen ultimately followed the same path to Haas as his teammate Romain Grosjean did (Grosjean left the organization during its transition from the Lotus F1 Team). Together, Magnussen and Grosjean has shown themselves to be roughly equal performers with the team. Romain Grosjean captured the best single race results for the Haas F1 Team with a sixth place at the Austrian Grand Prix.

After 11 races, the Haas F1 Team has collected the same amount of points in the constructors’ standings as it did all season in 2016. A highlight for the 2017 campaign, Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen combined to deliver their young race team its first double scoring performance at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Thoughts of Team for Remainder of 2017:

With little more than half of the 2017 season concluded, the team’s confidence in their drivers is solidified by the news both Grosjean and Magnussen have already been retained for 2018. Showing some gains over 2016, Haas F1 Team’s 2017 effort still displays a level of infancy with the organization. An area of improvement for the Haas F1 Team should be in reliability. Both team drivers have three retirements apiece in the first 11 Formula 1 events.

1 Racing Mind's 2017 Formula 1 Summer Break Report Card: Ferrari

Photo Credit:  Zak Mauger/LAT Images

Team Grade: A

Driver Grades
Sebastian Vettel: A
Kimi Raikkonen: A-

Scuderia Ferrari needed a strong 2017 season after a winless 2016 campaign. This year, the tifosi was presented with a massive rallying cry thanks to the SF70H race car being wheeled by Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen.

At the first race of the 2017 Formula 1 season in Australia, the prancing horse stormed out of the starting gate against the established Mercedes AMG juggernaut. More than just a race win, Sebastian Vettel’s 2017 Australian Grand Prix victory sent an affirmative message to the motorsport world that the Mercedes AMG could be beaten on pure race pace. While Hamilton and Mercedes AMG grabbed the second race of the season in China, Vettel countered by taking the next event in Bahrain. Winning a total of four grand prix races in 2017, Sebastian Vettel has nosed-out a 14-point lead over Lewis Hamilton in drivers’ championship after 11 events. In the team’s second Ferrari, Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen has been enjoying a consistent season. Raikkonen has placed on the podium for four races so far in 2017 and has played a valuable role in Ferrari’s battle in the constructors’ points.

While Ferrari was able to beat the Mercedes AMG cars three times this season, Ferrari has gone through some unpleasant moments in 2017. A win in Monaco by Sebastian Vettel was an uncomfortable 1-2 finish for Ferrari. Kimi Raikkonen started on pole at the Monaco Grand Prix but had to settle for the runner-up spot due to questionable pit strategy where Vettel was allowed to gain an advantage through the first round of pit stops. Assessed by analysts as team orders favouring Vettel, Raikkonen was visibly displeased with the result during podium festivities.

Thoughts of Team for Remainder of 2017:

The Scuderia Ferrari squad has already exploited the mortality of Mercedes AMG in 2017 in a manner no rival had accomplished since the beginning of the 2014 season. With Sebastian Vettel leading the drivers’ championship and the team firmly in the constructors’ title hunt, there is a change for Ferrari to massively disrupt the Silver Arrows’ modern Formula 1 dynasty. In light of a highly contentious drivers’ championship battle between Vettel and Hamilton, we should expect to see Kimi Raikkonen become a support player in the remaining races of 2017.