BOOST FOR RENAULT & RICCIARDO

Pat Fry joins Renault much earlier than expected – Photo: LAT

Renault’s 2020 Formula 1 programme – and that of drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon – got a boost with Pat Fry being able to join the team much earlier than expected.

By DAN KNUTSON

Fry will start work at Renault’s F1 base in Enstone, England on February 5. His official title will be: Technical Director, Chassis. He replaces Nick Chester who worked for the team for 19 years.

Fry worked at McLaren as an engineering director in 2018 and 2019. When it was announced last November that he would be moving to Renault, McLaren put him on “gardening leave.” This is a period of time where he would not be permitted to work for either team, thus preventing him from taking McLaren’s latest technical secrets to Renault.

It was expected that Fry would only be able to start work for Renault in September, but some behind the scenes negotiations between McLaren and Renault cut that back to February.

McLaren’s closest challenger in the 2019 constructors’ championship was Renault – although Renault’s challenge faded – so it is surprising that McLaren would allow Fry to join Renault early. McLaren will continue to use Renault power units this year before switching to Mercedes in 2021.

Fry will, therefore, be able to attend the launch of the 2020 Renault R.S.20 in Paris on February 12, and then be at the track when pre-season testing begins in Barcelona on February 19.

Fry, of course, won’t have any input on the design of the 2020 car, as all that work has been completed. But he will now be able to oversee the development of the car from early February rather than much later in the season. He will also be able to get in on the ground floor of the design of the 2021 car.

This will be a homecoming for Fry as he worked for the Enstone-based team from 1987 to 1993. He moved for McLaren and stayed with the team from 1993 to 2010. He then did a stint at Ferrari from 2010 to 2014, where he was technical hierarchy in 2010, serving as technical director from 2011 to 2014.

Next, he did a two-year stint at Manor Racing before rejoining McLaren.

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