Renault want to bring Lundgaard into Formula 1

Renault are hopeful that they can provide the step to their Academy driver Christian Lundgaard to progress into Formula 1.

The 18-year-old Danish driver is seen as one of the brightest prospect in Renault’s Academy and made his Formula 2 debut in 2019 at the final round of the season in Abu Dhabi.

The team have made it clear that they want to promote a junior driver into their Formula 1 team in the coming years, hopefully as soon as 2021, and Lundgaard is one of the top contenders.

As quoted by GPToday.net, Head of the Academy Mia Sharizman told Danish publication BT: “Our goal in having him at the academy has always been to get him in F1 with us.

“Now he has to run Formula 2 first to collect enough points for the super license you need to have in Formula 1.”

Under the current rules a driver needs to collect 40 points to be granted an F1 superlicence – Lundgaard has 18 collected through his championship results to date.

“We believe that with what we have seen from him in Formula 3 and Formula Renault, we believe he will take the step further with us.

“We hope so, but the final step into F1 is also about having a really good season in Formula 2.”

Lundgaard won the F4 Spanish Championship and the SMP F4 Championship titles in 2017, and he could be a candidate to replace Daniel Ricciardo at Renault for 2021.

The Australian driver’s contract expires at the end of 2020 with his big-money move to Renault yet to pay off in terms of results – he recently said that he wouldn’t rule out a return to his former team Red Bull.

Esteban Ocon is tied down at Renault until 2021, so the fact the team has in the past talked so openly about wanting to promote an Academy driver and continuing to do so could spell trouble for Ricciardo.

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