Renault has taken the covers off the car it will contend the 2019 season with. The car will be piloted by new signing Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg, who remains at the French manufacturer for a third season. Renault finished fourth in 2018 -- a spot which has become known as 'best of the rest', given the performance gap between the front three and the midfield -- and is looking to cut the deficit to Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull this year. Renault hopes the R.S.19 is the car to do that. The team made a huge statement during last year's driver market by securing the signature of Ricciardo from Red Bull. The Australian, who has won seven F1 races since 2014, is considered one of the best talents on the grid and alongside Hulkenberg completes one of the most exciting driver line-ups going into the new season. Renault Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo stand either side of four-time world champion and Renault special adviser Alain Prost. Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images The French manufacturer has made no secret of the fact it is facing a long-term project back to the front of the grid -- it has targeted wins in 2020 and 2021, meaning a clear step forward this year will be vitally important. The most visible changes to the car shown in the rendered images from last year's are those mandated by 2019's new technical regulations, including a wider, simplified front wing, smaller barge boards and a higher, wider rear wing. At the team's launch event at its Enstone base on Tuesday, it displayed a car with the 2019 livery and front wing. 1977 to 2019. Every line. Every curve. Using the most advanced technology available, and improving year on year. Breaking new grounds. All leading to today. Here is the 2019 Renault F1 Team challenger. Here is the R.S.19. 🎥 in partnership with @Microsoft#RSspirit pic.twitter.com/4axmZVAe0Y — Renault F1 Team (@RenaultF1Team) February 12, 2019 Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul believes the team's commitments to returning to the front of the grid is clear in the changes it has been making to every level of its operation. "When you walk around Enstone you feel the passion and dedication to racing," he said. "The first phase of the plan was regeneration -- you will see pretty much every single area of the factory has been improved if not completely transformed, from windtunnel instrumentation, manufacturing, milling machines, clean room, race bays, every single area improved in order to compete on the same level as the best." Engine chief Remi Taffin is confident Renault can start cutting the performance gap this year. "These regulations are extremely complex. We know them and understand them and had time to put in place a structure," he said. "We have the structure and we have the people now. Eventually we can see the result of it. "We have worked hard on the ERS [energy recovery system] and worked a lot on the ICE [internal combustion engine]. "In 2018 we have been introducing some new concepts that proved to be successful and we have taken some of them further down the road and into 2019. "The result is the best winter we have ever had."<doc-sep>7:37 Sky Sports’ Craig Slater and James Galloway deliver their verdict on Renault’s F1 2019 launch and what they’ve seen so far during ‘launch week’. Sky Sports’ Craig Slater and James Galloway deliver their verdict on Renault’s F1 2019 launch and what they’ve seen so far during ‘launch week’. What are Renault's targets? There was one word which was used above all others at Renault's season launch: momentum. Principally, maintaining the consistent level of championship improvement which has taken the Enstone team from ninth, to sixth and then fourth in the three seasons since the French manufacturer returned to team ownership. Closing the gap to Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull is the number one target for year four of the project. Renault aim for the top three in 2019 Find out more about Sky Sports F1 "We knew that it would take some time to come back on the podium. We know that we still have a gap with the front runners," said Renault Sport president Jerome Stoll. "But we are investing massively and for 2019 it's just about keeping the momentum of the improvement. We don't know what's going to be the final position at the end. Fourth is the minimum, but how far from the top teams? As close as possible." Where will the improvement come from? While 2019's aerodynamic rule changes have naturally been the topic of much focus in the lead up to the new season, engine performance is going to remain a key differentiator for teams. Renault have lagged behind Mercedes and Ferrari in this regard in the hybrid turbo era, but there was optimism at the launch that a corner may have finally been turned. "We've had the best winter of the last five years," declared engine chief Remi Taffin. F1 2019: All the key dates What's different on the F1 2019 cars? Team boss Cyril Abiteboul talked about achieving "engine excellence" and revealed fresh investment was being pumped into their engine base in France to create a new dyno and workshop fit for the next decade. "The engine looks promising in terms of performance," concurred executive director Marcin Budkowski. Will Renault be ready for testing? The race is on at Renault to deliver the RS19 in time for the first of the two pre-season tests, which starts on Monday in Barcelona. The car revealed this Tuesday carried only a few 2019 parts. Just moments before the wraps came off what was essentially the 2018 car with a new livery and a 2019 front-wing, Abiteboul admitted the RS19 was "in bits" in the factory. Time is pressing. Budkowski admitted it was "tight" to get the car fit for next week's test while Abiteboul shied away from guaranteeing his team would be ready for Barcelona. There could be some long nights ahead over the next week at Enstone… 4:33 Daniel Ricciardo is excited about driving for his new team Renault but admits a 2019 win is unlikely. Daniel Ricciardo is excited about driving for his new team Renault but admits a 2019 win is unlikely. What did Ricciardo say? Renault showed off their big new winter signing for the first time and Daniel Ricciardo, sporting his new yellow and black overalls, seemed at home in his new Enstone environment. He cracked some jokes, spoke optimistically about the future and perhaps gave his clearest explanation yet of that bombshell decision last summer to quit Red Bull for Renault. "The more I think about it I don't see it too much of a gamble," said Ricciardo. "We're not coming in saying 'we're going to win' so the expectation and the bar is initially not very high. Whereas at Red Bull every year we built ourselves up, because they'd won in the past, and felt it's going to happen. "The risk is being let down every year and if I stayed there the risk was it doesn't work again and with Honda maybe that doesn't happen. So the risk of failure is greater than coming here and having the risk of not winning. Out of the two options, they both have some risk but with risk comes reward and I feel that because the growth here is potentially a lot bigger, I feel the reward can certainly be bigger here." Ricciardo, who addressed the factory for the first time on Monday, said he already felt he was part of a team that wasn't content with just finishing fourth. "It's certainly not a midfield attitude it's like 'let's attack those top teams'." 3:18 Nico Hulkenberg talks at the Renault launch about his aspirations for the season. Nico Hulkenberg talks at the Renault launch about his aspirations for the season. What did Hulkenberg say? He's seen off Jolyon Palmer and Carlos Sainz in his first two years at Renault, but Nico Hulkenberg readily admitted at the launch that the arrival of Ricciardo as his team-mate is a significant moment in his career. "It's an important and big year in a way that I now have a team-mate who is a proven grand prix winner," said Hulkenberg. "It was sort of like that with Rubens [Barrichello, at Williams in 2010] but it was different. It was my rookie season and he was in something like his 18th season, so it wasn't a good or fair comparison. "This is much more real and good to compare. So for me personally a very important year to see how I step up next to that. That will obviously also determine my sporting future in a way."<doc-sep>Renault finished on 122 points in 2018, behind champions Mercedes (655), Ferrari (571) and Red Bull (419) Renault set themselves the target of closing the gap with the top three teams as they unveiled their 2019 car at their Oxfordshire factory. The French company finished fourth last season, after coming ninth in the first year of their return in 2016 and sixth in 2017. Team boss Cyril Abiteboul said: "We want to fight for more. We know it will take time. "This year is consolidation. We want to reduce the gap to the frontrunners." Former Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo joins Nico Hulkenberg for 2019. Ricciardo, who won two races for Red Bull in 2018, said: "It was a big decision for me and it certainly shook up a little bit of F1 and had quite a ripple effect on the grid. My intention wasn't to do that. I was looking out for myself and I felt this was the right place for me for the next chapter of my career. "The ambition is there - from ninth to sixth to fourth says it in itself - but there is no sense of complacency; there is big excitement and that motivates me." Abiteboul added: "We have the drivers. Then we want to target engine excellence, while we give a bit of time to (the factory at) Enstone to deliver a race-winning chassis." Renault said there had been substantial progress on the engine, a weakness in recent years. Engine boss Remi Taffin said it had been the "best winter for the last five years", since the introduction of turbo hybrid engines in 2014.<doc-sep>
0:27 Renault unveil their new look and livery for the 2019 F1 season. Renault unveil their new look and livery for the 2019 F1 season. Renault are aiming to continue their impressive rebuild and gain on F1's top three after launching their 2019 car's new livery. "We want to be real contenders," said Renault Sport President Jerome Stoll as the RS19's colour scheme was revealed. Key to the team's hopes will be new driver Daniel Ricciardo, a stellar new signing from Red Bull, along with the consistent Nico Hulkenberg, and both were at the team's Enstone factory for Renault's 2019 launch. The 2019 car will, however, only be seen for the first time when testing begins next week at Barcelona, with the team admitting the RS19 is still being built ahead of the February 18-21 test. Renault executive director Marcin Budkowski said the timeframe was "tight" to get the car ready for next week. Images of the RS19 were instead revealed online. How high can Renault climb in 2019? The French outfit secured their best constructors' finish since returning to the sport in 2016 last year, topping the midfield in fourth. "We want to fight for more. We want to reduce the gap to the frontrunners and target engine excellence," added team boss Cyril Abiteboul. The surprise capture of Ricciardo, the seven-time race-winner who chose not to extend his contract at Red Bull, would appear to prove Renault are making great strides. "I want to repay the faith the team have shown me," said Ricciardo. "There is a lot of hunger in the team." Neither the team, nor Ricciardo, are expecting miracles this season - a first podium for the Enstone outfit since 2015 is the target - but they will hope to kick on again, with the aim of becoming a championship contender by 2021. The team last won a race, then under the Lotus name, six years ago. "It's going to be really interesting and important to see how l get on against him," said Hulkenberg of his new team-mate. "It's important that we show good progress. Ultimately, l would love to have a car with Renault to challenge for podiums and wins. But for now, I'm just looking forward to getting the season started." 6:39 Renault drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo discuss their hopes for the new season. Renault drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo discuss their hopes for the new season. Renault's main task will be pushing on in the engine department to challenge Mercedes and Ferrari power, particularly after Red Bull decided they would be best-placed with Honda for 2019 and beyond. "We've had the best winter of the last five years," said engine boss Remi Taffin. Find out more about Sky Sports F1 F1 2019: All the key details What's different on the F1 2019 cars? Renault have made several key appointments behind the scenes in recent years and will once again be led by Cyril Abiteboul in 2019.