Naoki Tokunaga leaves Lotus for Renault Sport
All the engine manufacturers present in F1 are already focused on 2014 and the technical regulation changes. Renault has decided to strengthen its team by appointing Naoki Tokunaga as the technical director of the division for these new engines.
The Japanese had previously held the position of deputy technical director at the Lotus F1 Team, the team previously known as Renault F1 Team. He was one of the historical executives as he had joined Enstone in 2000 as a dynamic engineer. He had gradually climbed the hierarchy until he occupied his current position in 2010.
The engine being a crucial element in the balance and performance of the single-seaters, he will therefore be in charge of partnerships with the customers of the French engine, namely Lotus, Red Bull, Williams, and Caterham. He will therefore shuttle between the historic site in Viry-Chatillon and the headquarters of his clients, all based in England.
Rob White, Deputy Managing Director for technology at Renault Sport F1, stated: The new engine regulations are a challenge. We expect that the internal combustion engine combined with the energy recovery system will make this new power unit a more significant factor in the performance and differentiation of the cars than the current V8 engine and its KERS. Naoki will be an important asset for Renault Sport F1 with skills complementary to those we already have at our disposal in our renowned technical team in Viry.
With the participation of RacingBusiness.fr
