Editing Renault in Formula One (section)

==== Lotus Renault GP: Renault steps back (2011) ====
[[File:Renault and Lotus 2011 Malaysia.jpg|thumb|left|[[Nick Heidfeld]] leads [[Heikki Kovalainen]] ([[Team Lotus (2010–2011)|Team Lotus]]) at the [[2011 Malaysian Grand Prix]], Group Lotus's sponsorship of Renault in {{F1|2011}} led to a court dispute over naming rights between the two teams.]]
On 5 November 2010, [[Autosport]] reported that Renault was poised to scale back its involvement in 2011 and become only an engine supplier, with the team closing in on a tie-up with [[Lotus Cars]] to buy its 25% stake in the team.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/87936 |title=Renault team set for Lotus Cars tie-up |first=Jonathan |last=Noble |work=autosport.com |publisher=[[Haymarket Group|Haymarket Publishing]] |date=5 November 2010 |access-date=6 November 2010}}</ref> The deal was finalised in early December 2010, with the team to be renamed Lotus Renault GP for 2011, under a sponsorship deal signed with Lotus Cars until 2017.<ref name="LotusRenaultGP">{{cite news|date=8 December 2010|title=Renault F1 team to be renamed Lotus Renault GP in 2011|work=BBC Sport|publisher=BBC|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9267715.stm|access-date=8 December 2010}}</ref> Renault continued to support the team by supplying engines and its expertise and thus [[Red Bull Racing]] was promoted to Renault's full-works partnership team. The Renault chassis name continued to be used, with Renault branding featuring in the new black and gold livery that was last used when Renault and Lotus joined forces in the 1980s, harking back to the John Player Special livery of the time. Despite being rebranded to Lotus, Renault still supplied free engines for the Lotus team until 2014.

During 2011, the team raced against another team that was using the Lotus name. The team which raced in the 2010 season as [[Team Lotus (2010–2011)|Lotus Racing]] (using a licence from Group Lotus which was later terminated by Group Lotus) rebranded itself as "Team Lotus" for the 2011 season after purchasing the privately owned rights to the historic name.<ref>{{cite news |last=Beer |first=Matt |title=Team Lotus still bullish over name |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88623 |work=autosport.com |publisher=[[Haymarket Group|Haymarket Publications]] |date=8 December 2010 |access-date=10 December 2010}}</ref>

In January 2011, team principal [[Éric Boullier]] announced that the team would race under a [[List of Formula One constructors#Team's nationality|British licence]] in {{F1|2011}}, having raced as a French outfit since Renault took over in {{F1|2002}}.<ref>{{cite news|last=Noble|first=Jonathan|title=Renault to switch to British licence|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88902|work=[[Autosport]]|publisher=[[Haymarket Group|Haymarket Publications]]|date=13 January 2011|access-date=15 January 2011}}</ref> This left the sport without any team racing under a French licence for the first time since the {{F1|1975}} season. Group Lotus had yet to purchase a stake in the team, but had an option to do so by the end of {{F1|2012}}.<ref>{{cite news |last=Noble |first=Jonathan |title=Renault frustrated by Lotus name row |publisher=[[Haymarket Group|Haymarket Publications]] |work=autosport.com |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89176 |date=31 January 2011 |access-date=1 February 2011}}</ref> Along with the launch of their new car, Lotus Renault GP announced that they had hired [[Jean Alesi]] as an ambassador for the team and test driver for the T125 single-seater project.

On 6 February 2011, [[Robert Kubica]] was severely injured in an accident during a rally in Italy.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/motorsport/02/06/f1.crash/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110206170350/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/motorsport/02/06/f1.crash/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 February 2011 |title=Kubica undergoes emergency surgery after rally crash in Italy |publisher=[[Turner Broadcasting System]] |date=6 February 2011 |access-date=11 February 2011}}</ref> It was unclear if he would be able to return to Formula One during the 2011 season.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/motorsport/02/07/motorsport.f1.crash.kubica/index.html?iref=NS1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023163406/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/motorsport/02/07/motorsport.f1.crash.kubica/index.html?iref=NS1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 October 2012 |title=F1 ace Kubica 'much better' after rally crash in Italy |publisher=[[Turner Broadcasting System]] |date=7 February 2011 |access-date=11 February 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au//breaking-news-world/f1-driver-kubica-targets-quick-return-20110212-1aqv9.html?iref=NS1 |title=Formula 1 driver Kubica targets quick return |date=11 February 2011 |access-date=11 February 2011 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |publisher=[[Fairfax Media]]}}</ref> On 16 February, it was announced that [[Nick Heidfeld]] was signed as Kubica's replacement, while Kubica still remained signed with the team for 2011.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2011/2/11750.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217125013/http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2011/2/11750.html |archive-date=17 February 2011 |work=formula1.com |publisher=[[Formula One Group|Formula One Administration]] |date=16 February 2011 |access-date=16 February 2011 |title=Renault confirm Heidfeld as Kubica stand-in}}</ref>
[[File:Renault R31 nose logo 2011 Malaysia.jpg|thumb|right|Despite 0% Renault ownership the team continued using the Renault name until the end of the {{F1|2011}} season. The team also used a British licence.]]
At the {{F1 GP|2011|Australian}}, Petrov took his first and only podium in Formula One, finishing third, and Heidfeld finished twelfth with a damaged car.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9437744.stm |title=Vitaly Petrov boosted by Renault podium at Aussie GP |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |date=27 March 2011 |access-date=28 April 2011 |first=Sarah |last=Holt}}</ref> Heidfeld finished third in the next race in [[2011 Malaysian Grand Prix|Malaysia]], while Petrov retired late on; he hit a bump caused by a drainage gully which launched his car into the air and broke the car's steering column on landing.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9453282.stm |title=Sebastian Vettel beats Jenson Button in Malaysian Grand Prix |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |date=10 April 2011 |access-date=28 April 2011 |first=Sarah |last=Holt}}</ref> In the [[2011 Chinese Grand Prix|Chinese Grand Prix]], Petrov finished ninth having started tenth after a mechanical problem in qualifying, with Heidfeld finishing twelfth.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9460612.stm |title=Lewis Hamilton storms to China victory over Red Bulls |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |date=17 April 2011 |access-date=28 April 2011 |first=Sarah |last=Holt}}</ref> Heidfeld and Petrov finished seventh and eighth in [[2011 Turkish Grand Prix|Turkey]], as the team's early-season performance began to fade. Heidfeld finished ninth in [[2011 Spanish Grand Prix|Spain]] after missing qualifying due to a fire in practice, while Petrov finished just outside the points in eleventh place. Heidfeld scored more points in [[2011 Monaco Grand Prix|Monaco]] with eighth place, while Petrov retired after being caught up in an accident involving several other cars. Petrov finished fifth in the rain-affected {{F1 GP|2011|Canadian}}, with Heidfeld retiring after damaging his car's front wing in a collision with [[Kamui Kobayashi]]. The team endured a difficult weekend in Valencia, as Heidfeld scored a single point for tenth place and Petrov finished 15th.

New restrictions over the use of off-throttle blown diffusers were introduced for the {{F1 GP|2011|British}}, and the team was badly affected having designed their car around the system. Heidfeld managed 8th place in the race, with Petrov 12th. Heidfeld was replaced by [[Bruno Senna]] for the {{F1 GP|2011|Belgian}} in August.<ref name="Senna">{{cite news |url=http://www.lotusrenaultgp.com/6308-Bruno-Senna-to-race-for-Lotus.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920071356/http://www.lotusrenaultgp.com/6308-Bruno-Senna-to-race-for-Lotus.html |archive-date=20 September 2011 |title=Bruno Senna to race for Lotus Renault GP |work=Lotus Renault GP |publisher=Renault F1 |date=24 August 2011 |url-status=usurped |access-date=24 August 2011}}</ref>

On 29 November 2011, the team confirmed that they had hired [[Kimi Räikkönen]] to drive full-time in 2012. On 9 December 2011, the team also confirmed that [[Romain Grosjean]] would join Räikkönen in 2012. During the 2012 season, the team would be known as the [[Lotus F1|Lotus F1 Team]].