The drivers’ view on the Renault Sport R.S. 01

Andrea Pizzitola (Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0)
“Compared to a single-seater you can really feel the weight, but amazingly there’s no roll, which is a big difference compared to the GT cars I’ve driven. The car is very good at telling you what it’s doing at all times, and the speed it carries in the corners is frankly unbelievable. The steering is very responsive, which makes it easy to recover when you oversteer. One quick adjustment and you’re right back in line. Last but not least, cockpit visibility is amazing. I can’t wait to drive it again !”

Steijn Schothorst (Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0)
“It’s hard to say what impressed me the most. The whole car just blows you away. Coming from single-seaters, I’m not used to electronic aids, but I have to say that they don’t take over at all in the R.S. 01. With the ABS and carbon brakes I was able to brake really late going into Turn 1, and I was just as amazed by the Traction Control. It’s so smooth you can barely feel it, yet it still gives you a lot of traction. It’s absolutely fantastic.”

Michela Cerruti (Blancpain GT Series, Formula E)
“What a car ! It’s hard to find anything to complain about. There’s nothing I can think of, honestly ! Everything is top notch, but I really loved the feel of the steering. There’s not too much assistance, which lets you really feel what the front tyres are doing. You might expect it to be physically tough to drive, but it didn’t feel that way for me, and I’m not as strong as many of my male colleagues. I also tried different settings for ABS and TC and I have to say that finding the sweet spot is quite easy, which helped me make the most of my new tyres on my second run.”

Oscar Nogues (Eurocup Clio)
“Coming from a Clio Cup car, the R.S. 01 is simply in a league of its own. I’m used to front-wheel drives and I expected to struggle a bit, but I have to say I found the car very accessible. Obviously, getting those last few tenths out of it will always be a challenge, but the car is not at all intimidating, which is a bit of a surprise considering the lap times I posted all day long. If there’s one thing that struck me the most, it would have to be the braking performance. The engine is just as impressive though.”

Federico Leo (European Le Mans Series, GTE)
“I haven’t felt that much downforce since my single-seater days. I’d forgotten how it felt to tackle corners at that speed. I could easily get addicted to it, though. I’m used to the GTE set-up but I have say the R.S. 01 is impressive. It’s very stable and yet very precise on corner entry, which is quite an achievement if you ask me.”