France’s second largest automaker signed a $1.3 billion joint venture agreement in China at the end of 2013, forming Dong-Feng Renault.
At the fourth race of the 2014 F1 season in Shanghai, Renault – which provides the Lotus team’s V6 hybrid power unit, the Energy F1 2014 – was written in Mandarin (雷诺).
It didn’t help. Mercedes-Benz took first and second places; Ferrari third. The two Lotus cars finished 14th and 21st. However, three Renault-powered cars finish in the top ten with Infiniti Red Bull Racing fourth and fifth and Scuderia Toro Rosso tenth.
France’s second largest automaker signed a $1.3 billion joint venture agreement with Dong-Feng Motors at the end of 2013, forming Dong-Feng Renault Automotive Company (DRAC). The first small SUVs are due to go on sale in 2016, lagging German and Japanese and U.S. automakers in China by decades. French automakers are invisible in China, accounting for 3.1% – mostly Peugeot, of the passenger-vehicle market according to the China Association of Automobiles Manufacturers.
“2014 is a foundation-laying year for Renault in China thanks to the agreement we have reached with our partner Dong-Feng to manufacture Renault vehicles locally,” said Michael van der Sande, Senior Vice-President Marketing, Renault.
“Renault has considerable experience in motorsport and has been active in Formula 1 for more than 35 years. It was therefore normal that we should wish to take advantage of the Chinese Grand Prix to send a small sign to our Chinese friends, staff and partners.”
