28/01/2020
NEWS STORY
Renault Sport Racing today confirmed that two new recruits, Oscar Piastri and Hadrien David, will join Max Fewtrell, Christian Lundgaard, Guanyu Zhou and Caio Collet on its young driver the programme, the Renault Sport Academy.
Australian Piastri, 18, signs with the Academy by virtue of winning the 2019 Formula Renault Eurocup, while 15-year-old Frenchman David joins as part of the prize for winning last season's French Formula 4 Championship.
Piastri will join reigning champions Prema Racing in the FIA Formula 3 Championship, and will be joined in the series by Briton Max Fewtrell, who will contest a second season with a switch from ART Grand Prix to British outfit, Hitech.
David progresses to the Formula Renault Eurocup with MP Motorsport where he will compete against Eurocup Rookie Champion Caio Collet from Brazil, who remains with R-ace GP for a second year.
In the F2 championship, the primary F1 support series, Guanyu Zhou is set for a second season with UNI-Virtuosi, aiming to build on an impressive, podium-filled debut campaign, while Danish teen Christian Lundgaard steps up to F2 this year and will race for ART Grand Prix following a strong rookie outing with the French squad in Formula 3 last season.
Academy members will draw upon Renault's experience in motorsport to help them improve as drivers in their respective championships. As well as working to a personalised training and development programme, drivers will continue to assist the Formula 1 team particularly with simulator sessions at the headquarters in Enstone.
"This year's line-up is the strongest we've had in the last four years of the Renault Sport Academy," said Renault Sport Academy Director, Mia Sharizman. "We've struck a balance between experienced and rookie drivers and we believe we can compete for titles across all junior championships in which we've entered our members.
"As the years progress, we are moving closer to the point where we want to have an Academy driver in contention for the Formula 1 race seat. We remain hopeful that this year is a breakout year for this to happen. We already know what Max and Christian can do, and they are entering their fourth year on the programme.
"We were also pleased with how both Zhou and Caio performed in their first season with the Academy. All drivers have their own targets this year, which they know they have to meet.
"It's great to welcome two very talented individuals in Oscar and Hadrien and it's exciting to see what they can do this season. I'm sure all the drivers will push each other to perform to their best ability."
"Our Academy continues to grow in strength each year," added Renault Sport Racing Managing Director, Cyril Abiteboul. "We now want the programme to progress to the next level, and target championship wins in 2020.
"The Academy was first set-up in 2016 with the long-term objective of progressing a driver from the RSA to a seat with the Formula 1 team, and with the talent we have in the Academy we are still confident of achieving this in the relative short term. The ability within the Academy is there for all to see.
"On a wider level I am also pleased to see Renault global markets getting behind the programme and supporting their local drivers. I am very proud of the programme and its activation and I look forward to following the success on and off track."