F1 2010: Renault team guide

In the yellow and black corner With a waspish colour scheme harking back to the Régie's late 70s heyday – when legends such as René Arnoux boozed, womanised and stuck a finger up to team orders – the squad is desperately attempting to draw attention away from 2009's annus horribilis. A retro paint job doesn't alter the fact this is now only a semi-works team but at least they're on the grid. Fernando Alonso's 2005-06 titles brought a huge fan base, but three seasons in the doldrums and the Spaniard's shift to Ferrari leave Renault out in the cold. Highs and lows of 2009 Even Alonso's pedigree couldn't wring any performance out of the R29, leaving Renault languishing eighth in the 2009 standings. A third place from Alonso brought cause to raise un verre de vin , and that came at the less-than-happy hunting ground of Singapore. Just don't mention The whiff of Crashgate still hovers over the team, after Nelson Piquet Jr revealed that he had been ordered to crash deliberately in the 2008 Singapore grand prix. Heads rolled but at least the survivors can smirk now that Piquet has been left racing a pick-up truck in America, and it's a Toyota. Change is good The biggest casualty of Crashgate was long-time technical director Pat Symonds, whose presence on the pit wall will surely be missed. But the team had a serious fuel mileage advantage over their rivals last year, so they should be confident. Stands out in a crowd Perma-tanned, pot-bellied lothario Flavio Briatore helped Renault stand out from the corporate masses. Now he's banished to Siberia and bringing in the bling is F1's first Russian driver, moneybags Vitaly Petrov. Most likely to crash into Alonso's Prancing Horse. Renault's only hope is to wipe out the competition and their departing hero is a good place to start. Pitboard message Ouch, bet being lapped again stung like hell. Who pulls the strings That Renault has picked a baby-faced former spacecraft engineering student to take over Briatore's mantle sounds as barmy as letting a flamboyant Italian fashion marketeer call the shots. But though Eric Boullier is a 36-year-old Formula One virgin, he has more than 10 years of experience in motor sport. Most importantly, he's French. Cockpit compatibility Anyone who could survive the colossal shunt that befell Robert Kubica in the 2007 Canadian grand prix has to be made of steel. The Pole's strong will led to friction with BMW, but his links with Renault go back to a 2005 test. He won't pay a jot of attention to his rookie team-mate, Petrov, a former champion of the Lada Cup. What's in the boot Renault's engine didn't do championship runners-up Red Bull any harm last year, so they know what it's capable of. But can they claw back the aerodynamic deficit? Money has been pumped into a wind tunnel upgrade that should pay dividends but the French squad won't return to the sharp end overnight. Tiger in the tank The rear end has seen the most attention, with a double diffuser properly integrated this time, and a complicated rear suspension and wing design. Early testing times have been moderate but drama-free. Tweet this Pass the Gauloises, the Régie survives another day. Not this I don't see many sponsors' logos on the car, do you? Title odds 33-1 If they were an iPhone app Wheel of Fortune Once the market leader it remains popular in places where people are used to seeing a stream of consonants strung together. A sprinkling of glamour comes from elegant women hanging about the peripheries in their Sunday best. The wheel spins quickly, offering the opportunity to win or lose a fortune by solving a series of what seem like rudimentary puzzles but then prove fiendishly difficult when the pressure is on. The drivers 1. Robert Kubica, 25, Poland He's the one who Is Usain Bolt in pit boots or flatters to deceive according to the message board warriors. The poppet of the Poles has something of the night about his card-shark's pallor yet seems a bit of a throwback to a more playful age of racing driver. He remains a remarkably aggressive and tenacious competitor despite the dross he's been lumbered with. On track for Enjoying many happy returns with Renault, for whom he won the World Series undercard in 2005. He demonstrated with fourth place in 2008 that he is a genuine title contender if the team is as consistent as him but Renault may need time to meet his standard. In another life he'd be A pool-hall hustler who has fallen face first in a pile of chalk dust. 2. Vitaly Petrov, 25, Russia He's the one who Will become the first Russian driver on the Formula One grid in Bahrain. Born in Vyborg, 25 miles from the border with Finland, the world speed capital, he is known as The Rocket and brings with him a wealth of experience in GP2 and, even more crucially, £13m in funding and a vast untapped market which has got Bernie relishing an influx of roubles. On track for Is fast enough to achieve his aim of making his mark by mid-season if his impressive form in testing progresses – but Renault will also judge him on the number of cars they shift in Russia this year. In another life he'd be A cosmonaut putting aside his wariness to receive a visiting American to a space station with a vulpine smile. Facts and figures Debut Britain 1977 Grands prix 266 Wins 35 Poles 51 Constructors' titles 2 Drivers' titles 2 Based Enstone Team principal Eric Boullier Technical director Bob Bell The car Engine Renault Tyres Bridgestone