Japanese carmaker Infiniti will exit F1 after 2020 as it will no longer partner with Renault/Alpine outfit beyond their current deal.
Infiniti will end its 10-year journey in F1 which started with Red Bull Racing and switched to Renault for the last few seasons. The Japanese carmaker – whose parent company is Nissan – will focus on its active markets and put its initiative to electrify its product portfolio.
It entered F1 with Red Bull in 2011 and switched to Renault works team from 2016 onward, where it co-worked with the French manufacturer in the development of the Energy Recovery System (ERS) – one of the most innovative tech in the current era.
The INFINITI Engineering Academy continued the off-track involvement along with the development of Project Black S working prototype. In fact, the Q60 Project Black S features the ERS technology. “We are enormously proud of our participation in F1 and the successes and milestones we’ve achieved,” said Tommaso Volpe, Nissan and INFINITI global motorsports director.
“Our involvement in the sport has gone from strength to strength during these past 10 years, and we have not only increased our brand awareness but also strengthened our technical credentials and capabilities. Now it is the right time for us to concentrate our resources and all the knowledge gained through our Formula 1 activities in the research and development of our new technologies and future powertrains.
“This decade in Formula 1 has been an incredible and fruitful journey for us. We have had the privilege of collaborating very closely with companies that shared our goals and supported our vision, and we certainly come out of this experience wiser and stronger.
“We wholeheartedly thank all our partners, and especially everyone at Renault DP World F1O Team, for the fantastic work we’ve done together during the past few years and for their continued support as we begin a new chapter focused on our development. We are excited about this new endeavor we’re embarking on and look forward to all the innovation and achievements that will come with it.”
At the same time, Cyril Abiteboul, added: “Having INFINITI as technical partner during the past five years has constituted a real advantage for us. They’ve brought their significant experience in electrified performance to the team, which has been a crucial element of this partnership.
“But, in addition, being part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance meant that we could also collaborate on innovative and groundbreaking projects such as the INFINITI Project Black S and the INFINITI Engineering Academy, which wouldn’t have been possible in any other context.
“The close collaboration we could establish with INFINITI since the beginning has been very beneficial for both parties; we’ve enjoyed every minute of it and are very proud of everything we’ve accomplished together. We wish INFINITI all the best in their future endeavors and remain open to new – and no doubt equally successful – collaborations with them in the future.”
The news about INFINITI ending its F1 deal with Renault/Alpine comes at a time when Red Bull will lose its replacement Aston Martin as it becomes its own F1 outfit. The Austrian team, though, is not to replace the British carmaker with Honda at their disposal.
Formula E news:
With UK having a lockdown and restrictions due to COVID-19, Formula E has confirmed the postponement of the Santiago races, which were to take place on January 16-17. It will now be held sometime in Quarter 1 but no dates has been fixed as yet.
Formula E did not add on the Saudi Arabia double-header for February. “In consultation with the Santiago municipality, the #SantiagoEPrix has been postponed. The races will no longer take place as a double-header on January 16 and 17 and we are working with the city to finalise dates on which to stage the races later in Q1 of 2021,” said the statement.
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