As the ING Renault F1 Team officially launched its 2008 season by unveiling the brand new R28 racing car, they announced a dual commitment to Computational Fluid Dynamics technology, with the construction of an impressive CFD centre of excellence and by revealing that the new car will carry the logo of CD-adapco, long time partners and exclusive suppliers of CFD technology to the ING Renault F1 Team. The R28 is the first car in Formula 1 to carry the logo of a CFD vendor.

The glittering unveiling ceremony, held at Renault's impressive communcation centre on the banks of the Seine, was attended by Renault President and CEO Carlos Ghosn, along with 500 media and VIP guests from around the world, including CD-adapco founding Director Professor David Gosman. The team announced its determination to return to the front of the F1 field in 2008, thanks to a combination of aggressive design concepts in the new car, a large investment in CFD technology, and the talents of the sport’s only active double world champion, Fernando Alonso, allied to rookie Nelson Piquet.

CD-adapco is the exclusive provider of CFD software to the ING Renault F1 Team, and has been a partner of the Team since its inception. Industry leading CFD codes STAR-CD and STAR-CCM+ have been used extensively in the design of all the Team’s cars including the R28 and the World Championship winning R25 and R26. The R28 carries the CD-adapco logo on both sides of the rear brake-light mounting. According to CD-adapco VP of Sales Didier Halbronn, the location of the logo is no accident: “The rear of the car is the view of the R28 that we think that drivers of most other teams will see most often this season. We wanted to give them a constant reminder of the competitive advantage that using CD-adapco’s CFD software gives the ING Renault F1 Team.”

A large investment in CFD is a key part of the ING Renault F1 Team’s strategy for regaining the World Championship, explains Managing Director Flavio Briatore: “The team’s commercial outlook is healthier than ever for 2008. Renault has demonstrated its commitment to the sport with the new CFD Centre of Excellence, and we have a range of cutting-edge partners eager to collaborate on this exciting project.”

The CFD centre of excellence is currently under construction at Enstone, and will be operational by the second half of 2008. The facility will provide cutting-edge development resources for the team and also for the development of more efficient road cars in future Renault ranges. Coupled to a stable technical team with a proven track record, the outlook for the new season is positive:

“Renault has invested for the future at Enstone, especially with the new CFD Centre, which gives us the stability we need to move forward,”, said Briatore. ” The new car is a change in direction for the team, and we have been aggressive with the concept. When you add in Fernando’s ability to lead the team on the track, it is a powerful combination. Remember, in 2007 we finished third in the championship with a bad car, that we did not develop for half of the season. For 2008, we have a good car – and a world champion driver. The situation looks promising.”

For more information on CD-adapco please visit http://www.cd-adpaco.com or email info@uk.cd-adapco.com.