New 2008 Renault - Launch thread

[samuratt]

Intersting - seems SANTANDER will be joint-sponsoring McLaren and Renault/Alonso this year via different brands...

Alonso also to annouce new personal sponsor - Silestone (Spanish Kitchen Supplier)


http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headline...31093614.shtml

Alonso, Renault, to reveal new sponsors
Renault all set to unveil its new R28
31/01/08 09:36


Fernando Alonso will display a new personal sponsor on his helmet this season, it will be confirmed at the launch of Renault's 2008 car and livery in Paris on Thursday.

Spanish media reports reveal that Alonso, who arrived in the French capital on Wednesday, will be sponsored in 2008 and 2009 by Silestone, a Spain-based multinational kitchen supplier owned by Cosentino.

The logo will also appear on Renault's team caps this year.

It is also expected that Banco Santander will sponsor the French Formula One team in 2008, despite continuing to back Alonso's former team, McLaren, this year.


Santander, the largest banking group in Spain, will reportedly sponsor Renault through its 'Universia' subsidiary.

Source GMM
© CAPSIS International

Don't know who wrote the article but got a couple of things wrong!

First of all Santander (fianancial group) will sponsor Renault not trough a financial subsidiary, but through an Internet educative portal called Universia (which they own). So it hasn't got anything to do with banking, that is why ING isn't upset at all. In fact Unversia's logo has been deprieved of every similarity to the santander logo.

On the other hand the new sponsor isn't a kitchen supplier, it is a marble supplier. You usually use marble for the kitchen though...

cheers

[leopard]

so... marble is now paying Alonso?

The car looks fine, pepe jeans makes the car more sweet, but we don't have Hanjin intermodal company like stobart anymore in F1. Actually they could have outfitted the drivers as good as the car, better than it. His former sponsor might have influenced Alonso to put the blue block across the racing suit, like the red of vodafone on McLaren's.

[SGWilko]

Alonso said they're at least a second off the pace. More than his six tenths he can bring

I think if you wade through the Nando speak, what he actually means is the Renault is really only .4 of a second off the pace, but he is building in the chance to say 'hey look, I brought back those 6 tenths'.

As they say on Doc Martin - Bodmin! :

[leopard]

The superman is back down to earth

[Giuseppe F1]

Very, Very interesting front wing treatment! Hard to make out all the detail due to the dark blue colors and lighting but I would like to see a larger and clearer photo of it. I wonder if the wing will be the one used when the season starts or if it will undergo changes? It makes the car look a bit front-heavy!

Heres the best view youll get of the Renault R28 front wing me thinks!:

On the other hand the new sponsor isn't a kitchen supplier, it is a marble supplier. You usually use marble for the kitchen though...

It's not actually marble, Silestone is a Quartz-based composite construction that is an alternative to natural marble/granite. It is easier to work with and has an anti-bacterial additive.

I only know because one of the sponsors for my car happens to be the biggest user of Silestone in the UK.

[ShiftingGears]

I think if you wade through the Nando speak, what he actually means is the Renault is really only .4 of a second off the pace, but he is building in the chance to say 'hey look, I brought back those 6 tenths'.

LOL, that doesn't require much of an imagination stretch! I've gotta hand it to him though, if he wasn't so damn good I'd hate him for being such a prima donna. :