Damien Smith
RACING LINES
Alpine’s A524 F1 car and A424 Hypercar start racing on 2 March
T
he big car makers often struggle to ‘get’ Formula
1. Take Renault. On the one hand, it has a storied history in grand prix racing as both a successful engine supplier and all-in constructor. On the other, it has yo-yoed in and out of the sport over the decades, proving fickle to the merits or otherwise of spending millions to go around in circles. Renault has contributed so much – and yet you’re often left wondering how long its patience will last until the next rattle/pram moment.
This is generally a more stable time for F1. A strict budget cap and what is effectively a team franchise system make the investment and return sum less risky for car makers than it used to be. But none of them can bear losing.