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2007 F1 Silly Season - Renault Update #1
| 2007 will mark a new chapter for the French auto manufacturer. The team is looking good for a second Constuctor's and Driver's title, but the man who helped make it happen - Fernando Alonso - is on his way out the door to arch-enemy McLaren. Fisichella has been signed - though usually fast - he has put up enough mid-pack performances to put question marks over his ability to lead this team to a third consecutive title. To make things even more interesting Flavio Briatore, Pat Symonds, and Renault themselves have all been the subject of rumors which lead away from Formula one, or lead to other teams. But if they all stay together (as expected), they'll be looking for a driver of Alonso's proven caliber, but without Schumacher or Raikkonen, they aren't going to find one. |
| Drivers | Status | Situation | Resume | | Heikki Kovalainen | Testing for 2006 and the team holds an option to keep him if a race seat opens up in 2007. | An obvious talent in the GP2 ranks and impressive in test sessions for the team. Seems to be the heir apparent for Alonso's spot with Renault for 2007. | Ran at the front of the pack in GP2 this season, narrowly losing the championship. Kovalainen won the Formula Nissian title in 2004 after finishing second in points in 2003. He placed third in UK Formula 3 in 2002 after cutting his teeth in 2001 by finishing fourth in UK Formula Renault. | | Giancarlo Fisichella | Granted a one year extension, and will race for the team in 2007. | Granted seat for 2007 which will help insure some consistentcy for Formula one's best team, but can Fisichella really replace Alonso ? | Fisichella has been a fixture of the F1 circut since 1995 when he signed on as a test driver with Minardi. He campaigned for the team in 1996 before moving to Jordan in 1997. He had a four-year stint with Benetton before moving back to Jordan for the 2002 and 2003 seasons. In 2004, he drove for Sauber. His best season prior to this year was 2000 when he placed sixth in the points. He also took the Italian F3 title in 1994, capping a three-year run in the series. | | Kimi Raikkonen | A free agent after the 2006 season. He is looking for a ride that is capable of taking him to the championship. Though he is thought to be staying put at McLaren, or headed towards Ferrari. | The Flying Finn is the man everyone wants! He has apparently been checking out his options here and at Ferrari. He may even stay at McLaren if recent rumors are true of a big offer from Mercedes. But Raikkonen is said to want one thing: A World Championship. | Raikkonen rocketed into F1 with just 23 races in junior series but was around long enough to pick up the championship hardware from UK Formula Renault series in 2000. Sauber signed him to an F1 seat in 2001 and he finished 10th in driver points. McLaren signed the Flying Finn in 2002 and in 2003 he picked up his first Grand Prix win and finished second to Michael Schumacher in driver points. Finished second again in 2005. | | Mark Webber | Signed with Red Bull. | His agent Flavio Briatore runs the Renault team and although Fabulous Flavio has a history of bringing his clients to the team, in this case his client went to Red Bull. | Webber broke into Formula 1 as a test driver with Benetton and secured himself a full time ride with Minardi in 2002. He then spent two years at Jaguar before signing o n with Williams for 2005. His 10th place showing matches his best season in F1 when he drove for Jaguar in 2003. His junior formula career consists of two years as a top contender in Formula 3000, a couple of years in FIA sportscars, a few races in Formula Holden and three years of driving Formula Fords in Britain and his native Australia. |
Prepared by Rick Volman & Mike Sulka.
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