Formula Renault 2.0 race car arrives in UK

UK teams got their first look at the all-new Formula Renault 2.0 race car recently as the first batch of deliveries arrived in the UK.

Leading teams Manor Competition, Fortec Motorsport, CRS Racing, ATECH GP (formerly known as Hitech Junior), Mark Burdett Motorsport and newcomers Team Firstair and MTECH all received one car with the remaining deliveries due in the coming weeks.

The new car, which makes its competitive debut at the start of the 2010 Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship, features a new chassis, more powerful 2.0-litre engine (developing 210bhp) and for the first time will see drivers use a seven-speed paddle-shift sequential gearbox.

Dave Moore, Team Manager at Fortec Motorsport, commented: “First impressions of the new car are good. It’s one of the few cars you can look over and start up straight away which was never a guarantee with the old car. It feels very robust and the bodywork fits well. Weather depending we hope to start testing it in the UK towards the end of January as well as in Spain later in the year.”

Manor Competition’s Team Manager Tony Shaw, who led Dean Smith to victory last year, added: “The new car looks good but we’ll get a better understanding of it when we take it out testing in the next few weeks.”

The new cars are being built at the Renaultsport factory in Dieppe, France.

The opening rounds of the 2010 Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship take place at Hampshire’s Thruxton circuit on 3rd/4th April.