Robert Kubica enjoyed a string of strong finishes early in the year and Renault established themselves as the main rivals of Mercedes for 4th in the Constructor's Championship.

The car never presented a title sponsor: in the pre-season tests the livery actually appeared very bare of third-party brands: the only partnership of any importance was the one with the Dutch watchmaker TW Steel, whose logo stood out on the nose and above the radiator openings.

Close to the start of the championship, a two-year collaboration agreement was signed with technology company Hewlett-Packard (whose brand appeared on the fin of the bonnet), while the entry into the share capital of the Genii investment fund team Capital led to the affixing of the relevant logo on the front suspension arms.

During the season, the Banka brands SNORAS (which replaced DIAC), EFG International, TrinaSolar and MOVIT also made their entry.

The car was tested by Jaime Alguersuari and Lucas di Grassi at several European racetracks, including Jerez, Spa, Monza and Barcelona.