Renault to take their show on the road in May

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Renault Sport F1 is planning a number of demonstration runs next month. It's part of a bid to open up Formula 1 to fans in France. Eight events will be held over ten days in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.

"This is the first time such an ambitious programme has ever been organised to bring the general public closer to Formula 1," said team boss Cyril Abiteboul.

The programme starts on May 1 with an event at Chateaurenard. The team will run its 2012 V8 F1 car and Renault Sport R.S.01 lightweight GT sportscar as the centrepiece of the event.

Other activities will include pit stop practices, driving simulators and Batak pro challenges. In addition there will be driver meet and greets, and competitions to win tickets for the 2018 French Grand Prix.

The programme follows a popular and successful demonstration run in Nice last month. The itinerary takes in some of the most picturesque and largest towns across the region.

"We are proud that Renault, along with the region, is involved in this unique activity, which underscores all our central values," commented Abiteboul.

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The tour hits Miramas on May 2 and Aubagne on May 4 followed by Toulon and Le Lavandou. On May 8 Renault will be in Saint-Raphaël, and the following day arrives in Apt.

The tour rounds off on May 10 in Roquebillière.

The French Grand Prix returns to the Formula 1 calendar in June after a decade-long absence. The last time the race was held was 2008 at Magny-Cours, which was won by Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello.

This time the race will be staged at the Paul Ricard circuit. The last time F1 raced there was in 1990, when Alain Prost won the third of three consecutive victories.

"Everyone at Renault Sport Racing and within the wider Groupe Renault is incredibly excited about the return of our home Grand Prix in June," Abiteboul said.

"We have already announced a partnership with the circuit and are pleased to work with the region around the track to publicise the race as much as possible."

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.