French Formula Renault 2000 Championship: Presentation
From its creation in 1971, Formula Renault quickly established itself as an essential step for up-and-coming drivers on their way to the highest level of motor sport.

If we had to sum up Formula Renault 2000 in two words, it would simply be “success story”. With 550 cars produced to date, it has become the best-selling single seater in the world. And with ten national championships (with an eleventh due to be launched in the USA) and a European Championship, the word is spreading about this “winning” formula.

Launched four years ago, the FR 2000 was given a new look for 2004. The development kit gave a boost to its aerodynamics and engine, offering a sizeable gain in performance while maintaining reliability, and a fantastic look giving it similar sleek lines to its big brother, the Formula Renault V6 !

With Loïc Duval’s victory in last year’s drivers’ championship, the Graff Racing team is more than ever the one to watch. For his third year in the discipline, Patrick Pilet will once more be driving for the outfit led by Jean-Philippe Grand, with his stable-mates including Ludovic Badey and rookies Jérôme d’Ambrosio (from the Renault Driver Development programme) and Johan Charpilienne.

Lining up next to Graff come two new teams that are also turning heads. SG Formula, put together from the former ASM Formule Renault, is already looking like the next strongest team in the field, with drivers Guillaume Moreau, Yann Clairay and rookie Romain Grosjean. But the Playstation Junior Team Oreca, including Laurent Groppi (Campus 2003 champion) and Nicolas Prost will also be a force to be reckoned with.

In addition to these, we mustn’t rule out the more seasoned teams. Simon Abadie has signed Julien Falcini-Joulian and Franck Mailleux for Tech1, while the Hexis Racing team will be represented by team leader Pierre-Alain Bournot. Not forgetting Green Team and Pole Services, who are raising the stakes with Ulric Amado and Christophe Lefranc.