Renault have announced that it is to extend the life of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series category for at least another two years.
The series has faced pressure this year due to lower car counts, driven by high budgets, an ongoing worldwide recession and same level competition.
However following a consultation between Renault, the teams and associated technical partners, the French manufacturer announced a plan of action for 2015 and beyond to consolidate the series.
“The motor racing economic context is difficult,” commented the President of Renault Sport Technologies, Patrice Ratti.
Primary amongst the technical changes include a decision to extend the life of the current Dallara chassis to the end of the 2016 season. A strategy to reduce costs of replacement parts has also been examined, while the life span of the 3.4l Zytek engines and Ricardo gearboxes are also due to be extended, in order to extend part-life between rebuilds.
“We have also decided on a large number of competitiveness improvements, either by cost reduction of replacement parts, or by extending the life span thanks to the in-depth work of our engineers and technical partners,” said Ratti. He added the changes will “the teams to reduce their costs by at least 10%, which they have already anticipated in their discussions with their drivers for 2015.”
These alterations may be the step the series needed to halt the drop in entrants. Earlier this year, the field number fell to twenty – the lowest since the category’s inception in 2005; however Ratti is confident of the future. “I am very satisfied not only with the results, but also the constructive and creative spirit that has led the working group and which has contributed to reinforce the links between Renault Sport and the teams.
“With the introduction of the Renault Sport Trophy in 2015, everything is in place to assure a glorious future for the World Series by Renault.”
A headline of the World Series by Renault, FR3.5 is watched by over 400,000 spectators across seven events in Europe.
