Photo: Renault
Renault is involved in Formula 1 as a constructor and engine supplier since 1977, but as it’s often the case in the king motorsport, the team had its ups and downs. Struggling to get turbocharging technology right in the 1970s, the Crashgate controversy at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, the lack of pace in the hybrid era, there’s lots to talk about in this regard, but on this occasion, we’ll talk about a truck.
Meet the Alaskan Formula Edition, an F1-themed mid-size workhorse that doesn’t have anything to do with the company’s R.S. 18 racing car except for the black-painted bodywork with touches of gold. Exhibited at the Fan Festival in Marseille at the same time the 2018 French Grand Prix was in full swing, this particular Alaskan doesn’t even live up to the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6-engined Mercedes-Benz X 350d 4MATIC.
Coincidence or not, the three-pointed star is way ahead of Renault in the constructors’ standings. As a matter of fact, Renault finds itself on fourth after the French Grand Prix, with 62 points to its name compared to Renault-powered Red Bull Racing. Adding insult to injury, the Austrian team decided to go with Honda for the 2019 season, leaving the French automaker to struggle alongside McLaren.
Compared to the Clio R.S. 18 that gets the Akrapovic exhaust system as standard, the Alaskan Formula Edition doesn’t even have something like that or Cup chassis tuning, and this brings us to a question. Why did Renault bother coming up with this truck? The result is nothing short of a workhorse with a confused self-identity.
As if that wasn’t enough of an uninspired decision, Renault says that its one-tonner ships with “the most fuel-efficient and economical in its class. It also boasts exceptional off-road capacities.” Alright; what do those have to do with Formula 1?
Last, but certainly not least, don’t forget the Alaskan in based on the NP300 Navara from Nissan, as is the X-Class from Mercedes-Benz. Going deeper down the rabbit hole, the Alaskan came into this world from the automaker’s ambition to take a larger slice of the light commercial vehicle market in South America and Europe.
Coincidence or not, the three-pointed star is way ahead of Renault in the constructors’ standings. As a matter of fact, Renault finds itself on fourth after the French Grand Prix, with 62 points to its name compared to Renault-powered Red Bull Racing. Adding insult to injury, the Austrian team decided to go with Honda for the 2019 season, leaving the French automaker to struggle alongside McLaren.
Compared to the Clio R.S. 18 that gets the Akrapovic exhaust system as standard, the Alaskan Formula Edition doesn’t even have something like that or Cup chassis tuning, and this brings us to a question. Why did Renault bother coming up with this truck? The result is nothing short of a workhorse with a confused self-identity.
As if that wasn’t enough of an uninspired decision, Renault says that its one-tonner ships with “the most fuel-efficient and economical in its class. It also boasts exceptional off-road capacities.” Alright; what do those have to do with Formula 1?
Last, but certainly not least, don’t forget the Alaskan in based on the NP300 Navara from Nissan, as is the X-Class from Mercedes-Benz. Going deeper down the rabbit hole, the Alaskan came into this world from the automaker’s ambition to take a larger slice of the light commercial vehicle market in South America and Europe.
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