Formula 1's Latest Rumours and Talk: Renault Launch, Kevin Magnussen and More

The car on show may only have been a 2015-style chassis with a lifeless (albeit interim) livery, but Renault's return to the Formula One grid felt close enough to touch in Paris on Wednesday.

Following its purchase of the Enstone-based Lotus team at the end of 2015, the manufacturer held a team-launch event in the French capital, where it outlined its plans for the new season and beyond.

Although the company has a long and proud history in the sport, the message from chief executive Carlos Ghosn was clear: Renault is at the start of a very long and bumpy road back to the top of F1.

After being released by McLaren-Honda last October, Kevin Magnussen appeared to be facing a long and bumpy road back to the F1 grid. 

As he tested DTM and World Endurance Championship machinery at the close of last year, the Dane's time in the pinnacle of motorsport appeared to be all but over at the tender age of 23.

But after being offered a route back by Renault, Magnussen has thanked the team for saving his F1 career and explained how he came to replace Pastor Maldonado.

Let down by his personal sponsor and reluctant to join the fight for a Manor-Mercedes seat, Maldonado's F1 career of five seasons seems to have come to an end following his departure from Renault. 

But Nicolas Todt, the manager of the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix winner, has claimed the Venezuelan is determined to rejoin the grid in 2017.

With Magnussen and Maldonado both out of contention to join Manor, Mercedes-backed youngster Pascal Wehrlein has emerged as the overwhelming favourite to drive for the perennial backmarkers in 2016 after winning the DTM title last year.

Closing our roundup is the latest development concerning increased cockpit safety, with the "halo" concept almost certain to be implemented in time for next season.

Renault Ready to Take Patient Approach After F1 Return

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Carlos Ghosn, the Renault chief executive officer, has reiterated his desire for the French manufacturer to adopt a patient approach upon its return to Formula One in 2016.

After competing a deal to purchase the Enstone-based Lotus team at the end of 2015, Renault held a major media event in Paris on Wednesday, when the company paraded new racing director Frederic Vasseur and drivers Kevin Magnussen, Jolyon Palmer and Esteban Ocon.

As an engine supplier to Red Bull Racing, Renault has struggled painfully since the V6 turbo regulations were introduced and has been frequently criticised by the four-time world champions since the beginning of 2014.

This year will mark a decade since the Renault team's most recent championship triumph with Fernando Alonso, and Ghosn—who previously told French publication Le Figaro (h/t Motorsport.com) that the company will need three years to be competitive—has stressed the need for patience.

With an apparent dig at Red Bull, Ghosn told Motorsport.com's Pablo Elizalde: 

"

We know when the team wins it is the car and when the team loses it is engine. That is one of the reasons why we say in order to get the best out of F1 we have to be a full team.

If you are only an engine provider you make a lot of investment. We are working a lot on the engine. We are watching carefully the development of this engine, there are a lot of things prepared for this season.

We recognise the fact we are starting with a handicap compared to the winner. We think we have the talent and willingness and experience in order to close the gap.

It may take some time, but we will close the gap. We are not here to participate, we are here to compete and to win.

It is not going to happen in 2016. Let's not think of a miracle.

"

Renault's development of its hybrid engine recently received promising feedback from Red Bull team manager Jonathan Wheatley, who told GPUpdate.net that the French manufacturer had made "very positive" progress.

Per Motorsport.com's Elizalde, Renault managing director Cyril Abiteboul has vowed to provide Red Bull with "exactly the same" engines as the factory team in 2016, despite the seemingly poor relationship between the two parties and the latter's branding agreement with TAG Heuer.

He added that the engine-supply deal between Renault and Red Bull could yet extend beyond this season.

Kevin Magnussen Believes Renault Have Rescued His F1 Career

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Kevin Magnussen has admitted his Formula One career would have been over had he been unable to secure a place on the 2016 grid, following the confirmation of his signing by Renault.

The Dane made his grand prix debut for McLaren at the beginning of 2014, scoring a podium finish on his debut in Australia, but he was unable to sustain that form and was demoted to a reserve-driver role for 2015 after the team lured two-time world champion Fernando Alonso from Ferrari.

Magnussen had been expected to regain his race seat with the team in 2016, but McLaren's decision to keep Jenson Button—as well as the emergence of fellow McLaren-affiliated driver Stoffel Vandoorne, who won the GP2 feeder series in dominant fashion—saw him become surplus to requirements.

After being released from his contract last October—the Dane later told Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble how he was informed of his sacking via email on his 23rd birthday—Magnussen tested DTM and World Endurance Championship cars with a view to rebuilding his career in a different category.

However, complications between Renault and Pastor Maldonado's personal sponsor, as reported by Autosport's Lawrence Barretto, saw Magnussen offered an F1 lifeline, with his signing confirmed at the French manufacturer's launch event in Paris.

And Magnussen—who explained that he first held tentative discussions with Renault in mid-2015 before Maldonado's difficulties saw those talks become increasingly serious at the turn of the year—has revealed his relief after being handed a fresh start in F1. He told Barretto:

"

Two years out would have been the end.

If you're world champion, you might be able to come back.

But in my position, being out for two years would have been the end of my F1 career.

This was make or break. Luckily, I made it. ...

This is a massive opportunity because not many drivers get a second chance.

I've been given a second chance and a very good chance with a top team.

I can't tell you how happy I am. I'm looking forward to getting into the car.

"

He added:

"

There was some contact with the [Renault] guys around the time they were getting serious about taking over Lotus but then it went quiet for a bit.

Then at the beginning of the year, we started having contact again.

It's taken a while. I've waited for a long time. It's been a bit up and down but finally it is done.

"

As well as signing Magnussen to partner rookie Jolyon Palmer, in addition to 2015 GP3 champion Esteban Ocon as a reserve driver, Renault also announced the first members of its new young-driver program in Paris.

As reported by Motorsport.com's Valentin Khorounzhiy, 2015 Formula Renault 3.5 champion Oliver Rowland is the main attraction of a junior scheme featuring Jack Aitken, Louis Deletraz and Kevin Jorg. 

Carmen Jorda, who joined Lotus as a development driver at the beginning of 2015, has also kept her place at the team.

Pastor Maldonado Hopeful of 2017 F1 Return Following Renault Departure

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Nicolas Todt, the manager of Pastor Maldonado, has claimed his client is already planning to return to Formula One in 2017 following his departure from Renault.

After five full seasons in F1, Maldonado recently announced he will not be present on this year's grid after his personal sponsor, Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, was late in delivering payments to the team, with Renault signing Kevin Magnussen as his replacement, per Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble.

Problems in his homeland, as reported by the Washington Post's Matt O'Brien, had been thought to have left Maldonado facing the end of his F1 career, but the 30-year-old may yet return to the pinnacle of motorsport as soon as next year.

Todt, who also manages Williams driver Felipe Massa, told Reuters' Alan Baldwin that it "makes no sense" for Maldonado to try to secure a seat at Manor—who remain the only team yet to confirm their driver lineup ahead of the new season—and will instead focus on rejoining the grid in 2017.

"I don't see any concrete opportunity for Formula One this year," he told the same source. "We will try to bounce back in 2017."

The winner of the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix, Maldonado was re-signed by the Lotus team at last season's Singapore GP at a time Renault's purchase of the Enstone-based outfit was yet to be completed.

But despite having a valid contract to race for the team in 2016, Todt has claimed the Maldonado camp will not be taking legal action, telling Baldwin that the agreement "was terminated in a friendly manner with Renault so no hard feelings," adding that Renault "behaved very fairly."

At the Renault launch, both Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer offered their condolences to Maldonado following the late, cruel nature of his departure, per Crash.net.

Although Maldonado's plans for 2016 remain unclear, the Venezuelan told Autosport's Lawrence Barretto last October that it wasn't "the time to go to America yet," suggesting he is likely to switch to IndyCar when his time in F1 is finished.

Kevin Magnussen's Renault Move Enhances Pascal Wehrlein's Manor Prospects

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Renault's decision to replace Pastor Maldonado with Kevin Magnussen has had a knock-on effect on the driver market, with Pascal Wehrlein now the leading contender to race for Manor in the 2016 season.

Prior to securing his return to the Formula One grid with Renault, Magnussen, according to F1i.com's Chris Medland, had held discussions with Manor, who are yet to announce their two drivers for the upcoming campaign with less than three weeks until pre-season testing begins.

As reported by Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble, Magnussen had been regarded as one of the "preferred candidates" to join Manor, but his signing alongside Jolyon Palmer at Renault has enhanced Wehrlein's chances of earning a seat with the perennial backmarkers.

Noble claims that discussions between the Germany-born youngster—the Mercedes-affiliated driver who won the DTM touring-car championship in 2015—and Manor have "accelerated" with "a source with good knowledge of the situation" suggesting a deal is "85 per cent" done.

Manor's switch to Mercedes power units for this season made Wehrlein an instant favourite to join the team, but Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had previously admitted that the backmarkers stood to make more money from signing pay drivers, per ESPN F1's Laurence Edmondson. 

In January, the 21-year-old told Motorsport Total (h/t Crash.net) how he remained hopeful of earning a place at Manor, claiming the team are a "really tempting" option for him.

And with Magnussen's Renault switch—as well as the funding difficulties encountered by fellow contender Rio Haryanto, per F1i.com's Phillip van Osten—it seems Wehrlein is edging ever closer to a full-time race seat.

'Halo' Concept to Be Introduced in 2017 After Drivers Push for Cockpit Safety

Formula One cars are set to be fitted with the "halo" concept from the 2017 season after the drivers succeeded in pushing for increased cockpit safety.

As reported by BBC Sport's Andrew Benson, the drivers—led by Alexander Wurz, chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association—have recently been pursuing the "swift implementation" of cockpit-safety measures following the deaths of Marussia driver Jules Bianchi and IndyCar's Justin Wilson in 2015.

Per the same source, Wurz said that research conducted by governing body, the FIA, had produced a "clear solution" in the form of the "halo" design, pioneered by two-time world champions Mercedes.

According to Benson in a separate BBC Sport article, the FIA, which "sees no reason why it cannot be introduced," has now informed the teams that it intends to see the halo concept introduced next year and is currently "working with teams to finalise plans."

Reacting to the development, Wurz told the same source:

"

Obviously the drivers are happy that the technical team representatives agreed for the additional head protection to come in for 2017 following the drivers' recommendation and the FIA research.

We will now enter the design phase, where the drivers need to be open to a slightly different visibility spectrum due to the additional structure. I am also curious as to how the teams will make the new solution look cool and fast.

"

One of the biggest concerns surrounding the halo design concerns its effect on visibility, with the central pillar located directly in the driver's eyeline.

Anthony Davidson, who has driven in open-cockpit F1 cars, closed-cockpit endurance cars and has already tested the halo, told F1 journalist Will Buxton that while the proposed structure "really is not an ideal solution and it’s never going to be," it is "the best solution for now."

Meanwhile, Motorsport.com's Adam Cooper has reported that the engine-token system will be dropped in 2017, allowing the four engine manufacturers—Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Honda—to freely develop their V6 turbo power units.

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