Renault’s first ever Formula One car, RS01, will be reunited with its original driver Jean-Pierre Jabouille at the 2004 Goodwood Festival of Speed as Renault celebrates the 25th anniversary since Jabouille took the marque’s first ever F1 victory during the 1979 French Grand Prix at Dijon.
The reunion of driver and machine, the first time it has happened since the partnership made Renault’s entry into the Formula One World Championship at Silverstone in 1977, will be a fantastic occasion. Speaking ahead of the event, 61-year old Jabouille said: “It’ll be very exciting to see RS01 but to drive the car again will be very emotional – it was a very special time for me and Renault.
“During the Dijon Grand Prix, I was very nervous for the last five laps of the race even though I had a good lead. A mechanical problem can happen at any time during a race…I was hearing noises, looking at temperatures and just worrying whether I’d make it to the finish!”
This year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, which takes place on 25th/26th/27th June, will also see Renault celebrate another highly important piece of history – the epic battle between Rene Arnoux and Ferrari’s Gilles Villeneuve during the very same race.
Jabouille’s landmark maiden GP win for Renault has often been overlooked due to the richly entertaining, wheel-to-wheel battle for second place between Arnoux and Villeneuve – arguably the most memorable piece of racing in the long and colourful history of the Formula One World Championship.
In a first for the Festival of Speed, both Jabouille and Arnoux – the latter driving the Renault RE30B – will demonstrate their Formula One cars on Goodwood Hill at the same time. This exciting reunion will complement the wealth of other amazing stars and cars from Renault’s competition history covering everything from Formula One to World Rallying and Renault’s famous 1978 Le Mans 24 Hours victory. To that end, Jean-Pierre Jaussaud’s race-winning Alpine A442B will once again appear at Goodwood this year.
Renault F1 Test Driver Montagny To Demonstrate R23
The current Formula One season has already seen the Renault F1 Team make a major impact on the World Championship with Spain’s Fernando Alonso stepping onto the podium after finishing third in the opening Grand Prix of the year in Melbourne, Australia, and Italy’s Jarno Trulli taking a famous debut victory at the recent Monaco Grand Prix.
On Saturday and Sunday at Goodwood, Renault F1 Team’s official test driver Franck Montagny will demonstrate the R23 which brought the team its first win since returning to Formula One at last year’s Hungarian Grand Prix, giving fans a rare opportunity to meet and greet France’s most promising future F1 star.
Speaking ahead of his Goodwood appearance Montagny said: “I’m delighted I’ll be a part of the Goodwood Festival of Speed again and can’t wait to give the crowds a close look at the capabilities of the fantastic Renault F1 car.”
At the other end of the history spectrum, the Renault brothers’ famed 1902 Paris-Vienna race-winning Type K will make its welcome return to the annual event in the capable hands of its custodian Jean-Louis Le Tohic and also Montagny.
Meanwhile, rallying legend Jean Ragnotti, nicknamed ‘Monsieur Renault’ due to his many years of service to the manufacturer as a race and rally driver, will return to Goodwood this year at the wheel of two of Renault’s most famous rally cars - the 1985 Tour de Corse winning Renault 5 Maxi Turbo and an example of the 1973 World Championship winning Alpine Renault A110.
In addition, Renault UK’s Managing Director Philippe Talou-Derible and Renault F1 Team’s head of electronics Richard Marshall will drive the awesome Clio Renaultsport V6 255 road car at Goodwood. Renault’s static road-car display is also destined to turn heads and this year will have two distinct themes – the 20th anniversary of the Renault Espace will be featured in an outdoor display and a collection of Renaultsport branded cars will be housed on an indoor stand.
The Renaultsport display will include the brand new Clio Renaultsport 182 – featuring the ‘Cup’ pack - the Clio Renaultsport V6 255, Megane Renaultsport 225 and a static Renault R24 Formula One car.
Furthermore, the striking concept ‘Reinastella’ will feature prominently as the centre-piece of a space-scape built to stage the ‘Future Cars’ display of space-age designs from the 1950s to the year 2000.
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