Renault Plan to Run New Car in November

The 2003 Renault Grand Prix car will be ready for testing in November, according to the French squad's technical director Mike Gascoyne.

The car manufacturer has made a successful return to Formula One this season and remains in prime position to secure fourth place in the Constructors' Championship by the end of the year.

But the team are well advanced on their 2003 machine because they operate a twin design system, which allowed them to develop the R202 and the 2003 car alongside each other.

"The 2003 project is now well advanced with preparations now underway for the new car to run during the month of November," said Gascoyne. "The R202 will be continuing development right up to the final race."

Chief designer Mark Smith has overseen the creation and development of the R202 and will continue to do so for the remainder of the year before moving onto conceptual design of the 2004 machine.

Meanwhile, the team's second chief designer, Tim Densham, has been developing the 2003 machine since the beginning of this season, and will have his car ready for testing just one month after the season-ending Japanese Grand Prix.

The drawing room strategy is similar to one operated by Ferrari and is set to catapult the team, which languished in the lower half of the grid last year, further up the grid next season.