Jean-Marie Hurtiger Renault Samsung Motors CEO

Automaker gears up to support ‘Korean Grand Prix’

By Kim Tae-gyu

The first-ever Formula One (F1) circuit in Korea is opening in a month and Renault Samsung Motors is gearing up to promote the event, dubbed the Korean Grand Prix in proper racing style.

In particular, Renault Samsung has commissioned a variety of activities spurred by its parent company Renault SA, which is set to bring its own F1 team to the 17th event of the 19-race season.

The Korean Grand Prix will take place at the 5.6 kilometer track in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, about 320 kilometers south of Seoul, from Oct. 22 to 24. The circuit has Asia’s longest straight stretch.

``The majority of people get a thrill out of the speed of an F1 race and that’s all. As they have little knowledge and information of the competition, F1 has yet to gain wide popularity here,’’ Renault Samsung spokesman Kim Bum-suk said.

``We are ready to take on the role of helping people better understand and enjoy the F1 championship and we are proud to introduce the F1 team of Renault as one of our cornerstone assets to the local audience.’’



F1 supporters

Throughout this month, Renault Samsung has attracted many supporters for the Renault F1 team. A lot of F1 fans have applied for a special program to promote the event at the firm’s sales outlets or via its website (www.renaultsamsung.com).

Out of the applicants, 50 will be picked through a draw. They will be given a pair of grandstand tickets so that they can watch the race up close. Plus, two groups of 100 supporters will receive Renault F1 accessories and MP3 players as prizes.

Thus far, approximately 16,000 people have applied to take part and the figure is expected to top the 20,000 mark by the deadline of Oct. 5.

Renault Samsung’s Chief Executive Officer Jean-Marie Hurtiger also stressed the Busan-based outfit’s commitment to the F1 competition.

``I hope that the passion and support of all the applicants who will enter this event will lead to a successful 2010 F1 Korean Grand Prix,’’ said the CEO who took the reins of the automobile manufacturer in early 2006.

``Renault Samsung Motors will continue to promote F1 in the future and make the 2010 F1 Korean Grand Prix an important event in Korea where people can watch, enjoy and experience a motor festival through various programs held in conjunction with the Renault F1 team.’’

Another promotion underway is the city demonstration of Renault F1 team’s racing car, the R29, which participated in last year’s F1 championships as a predecessor of the team’s current model, the R30.

The showdown will happen in Seoul on Oct. 3 under the banner of the ``Renault F1 Machine Festival with Renault Samsung Motors.’’ On this exciting day, the car will be shown off on a route of about half a kilometer from the Sejong-no intersection to Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall.

``I am greatly pleased to introduce to Korean fans of Formula One, one of the world’s top three sports events, where only advanced auto manufacturers participate,’’ Hurtiger said.

``We plan to let the public know about Renault Samsung Motors’ advanced technological abilities and will allure viewers through the performance of a high-performance car made by Renault.’’



Renault in F1

French-based Renault competed in the F1 Grand Prix Championships from 1977 to 1986. Beginning in 1989, it supplied F1 engines to several teams and they helped six makers and five drivers win the event until 1997.

Renault returned to F1 as a constructor in 2002 and secured titles for both the team and drivers for two consecutive years in 2005 and 2006.

In an e-mail interview, its technical director James Allison said that its R30 will be able to create a buzz with advanced features and developed functionalities compared to the previous models.

``The R30 is a considerably more svelte and attractive car than its predecessor. These changes are not made for aesthetic appeal. However, they are the result of the intensive aerodynamic development that the R30 has benefited from,’’ he said.

``Under the skin too the changes are considerable. The largest differences are the result of accommodating the much larger fuel tank to follow the 2010 rules and re-optimizing the car without the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS), but there are hundreds of other improvements across the whole of the vehicle.’’

KERS refers to an electric generation, storage and propulsion system used in F1 cars. It creates electricity over slowdown and stores energy in batteries while boosting acceleration via assistance to the engine.

It is designed to conserve energy that would otherwise be lost when braking, thus to maximize the overall speed. But it has been controversial whether or not it benefits the drivers.

Allison added that the Renault F1 team has taken the advantage of the overhaul of the F1 regulations to build the best car on the track.

``Under last year’s rules, all teams placed the cars in extreme fuel-saving mode as soon as the safety car emerged,’’ the technical director said.

``Under 2010 rules we need to do exactly the opposite: we must adapt the car to burn off the excess fuel that would otherwise accumulate when running slowly in order to make sure we are not carrying excess fuel once the safety car goes back in.’’

Based on the revamped R30, Allison is confident that the team will remain ahead of the curve.

``Whatever our initial level of competitiveness, we have a very aggressive development program planned for the car and we are confident that we will be returning to fight for the podium and race wins very soon,’’ he said.