Renault R.S.17 takes first laps in Barcelona

Renault drove its first on-track laps on Saturday, with Jolyon Palmer behind the wheel of the 2017 car, the R.S.17, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Renault unveiled its 2017 on Tuesday and set concrete goals: a gain of 0.3s with its new power unit and fifth place in the constructors' championship.

"The RS17 is the first car which Enstone and Viry [Renault's UK and French F1 bases] have been able to plan and develop from the outset and we're satisfied by the fruits of this interaction," Renault Sport president Jerome Stoll said Tuesday. Last year's chassis being hastily adapted to take a Renault power unit following its takeover of Lotus in December 2015. Managing director Cyril Abiteboul believes the new regulations have provided the team with a "reset."

"Everyone had to start from a clean sheet of paper," he said.