30/11/2005
NEWS STORY
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Following Renault's historic double world championship victory in 2005, the first Formula 1 titles won by a mass-market automotive manufacturer, the Renault F1 Team this evening took the opportunity to celebrate among friends in the historic heart of the company, Boulogne-Billancourt, south-west of Paris.
Amidst an evening for team members, partners and Renault employees which included acrobatic displays, speeches and a special surprise gift for Fernando Alonso, Renault Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn explained the importance and impact of double world championship victory for the Renault brand.
"This victory is important because it comes at a moment of transition for Renault, as the company prepares to enter new markets. We must associate this winning car and team to our products on the road, transposing strong Formula 1 values such as reliability and technological excellence. It is also important to capitalise on our success in markets where Renault is little known, such as China, Russia and others into which we are expanding, to tell them that Renault are champions."
The event also marked an important opportunity to acknowledge the unstinting commitment and support of Renault in the team's success, both in terms of technical collaboration but also passionate motivation.
"The impact of this victory has been enormous," explained Renault F1 Team President Patrick Faure. "We have seen it every day within the Renault family, which extends from our employees to our dealers, our suppliers and of course our customers throughout the world. Now, we must exploit this success. In the short term, by traditional methods: communication, advertising and a strong F1 presence in the tens of thousands of dealerships across the globe. But in the medium term, this means a range of products and sporting accessories that can forge closer links between Formula 1 and the Renault product."
Celebrations naturally focused on the successes in 2005, but also highlighted the team's road to victory since Renault returned to Formula 1 as a works manufacturer in 2002. From fourth place in the constructors' championship in its opening season, the team has made rational, solid progress each year, hitting its objectives while honing its competitiveness.
In 2005, Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella seized their opportunity with the R25, which married race-winning speed with exceptional reliability, to bring Renault its first world championship success as a 100% works team.
To conclude the evening, Carlos Ghosn offered Fernando Alonso a special gift: his championship-winning R25, to mark the historic relationship between the young Spaniard and the French manufacturer. "I saw a big box when I arrived this evening, but to have this car at home is really a dream come true!" enthused Fernando. "It is a fantastic present!"
To check out our Paris celebration gallery, click here