Renault defends F1 car no-show at 2020 launch

Renault has moved to address why its 2020 Formula 1 car was not present at its launch event ahead of the new season.

The French manufacturer held its annual pre-season launch event in Paris on Wednesday with drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon in attendance, but rather than unveiling its 2020 car, it opted to release a selection of ‘teaser' digital renderings.

Renault team principal Cyril Abiteboul explained at the launch that Renault’s actual R.S.20 challenger was currently in pieces and readying for transit to Barcelona in time for next week’s opening pre-season test.

After its decision not to hold a physical launch - unlike its rivals - raised eyebrows, Renault posted a series of Tweets to explain why its car would not be revealed until the morning of the first test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

“In previous years, we’ve presented a showcase altered to look like that season’s car but there’s little point in doing that,” Abiteboul said.

“No one is capable of presenting a current car. If your team is on schedule, you don't have a car waiting here for a couple of hours or days.

“Your car is built and going straight to Barcelona. That is an optimised schedule.”

Renault went on to confirm that its ‘real’ car has been built and is undergoing its final tests before leaving for Barcelona.

Renault’s midfield rivals and customer team McLaren was the latest outfit to take the wraps off its latest F1 car on Thursday at its Woking headquarters, before Mercedes and the rebranded AlphaTauri conduct their respective 2020 launches on Friday.