Team RFR that was previously known as KMP Racing are an

auto racing Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primaril ...

Russian team who made their début in the

Formula Renault 3.5 Series The World Series Formula V8 3.5, formerly the World Series by Nissan from 1998 to 2004, the Formula Renault 3.5 Series from 2005 to 2015 and the Formula V8 3.5 in 2016 and 2017, was a motor racing series promoted by RPM Racing (1998–2004) and R ...

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

. The team is based at

Nogaro Nogaro (; Gascon: ''Nogaròu'') is a commune in the Gers department, Southwestern France. It is the site of a distillery of Armagnac brandy. Geography The commune is bordered by six other communes: Caupenne-d'Armagnac to the northwest, Sa ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

Background

KMP Group/SG Formula

KMP Group are a

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

n–based tour operator and

travel agency A travel agency is a private retailer or public service that provides travel and tourism-related services to the general public on behalf of accommodation or travel suppliers to offer different kinds of travelling packages for each destinat ...

, set up in 1989, with offices in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

St Petersberg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

Kiev Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Ky ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. In May 2009, they linked up with renowned

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

single–seater team

SG Formula SG Formula is a French auto racing team which participated in the junior categories of open wheel racing: Formula Renault and Formula Three. The team was founded in 2004 by Frenchman Stephane Guerin. History After its foundation in 2004, SG Form ...

for an entry into the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, making their début at the third round of the season in

Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word ...

after taking over the assets of the

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...

KTR team. Russian driver

Anton Nebylitskiy Anton Nikitovich Nebylitskiy ( rus, Анто́н Ники́тович Небыли́цкий, p=ɐnˈton nʲɪˈkʲitəvʲɪtɕ nʲɛbɨˈlʲitskʲɪj; born 11 October 1989, in Moscow) is a professional racing driver from Russia. Career Formula ...

was their lead driver, with

Jules Bianchi Jules Lucien André Bianchi (; 3 August 1989 – 17 July 2015) was a French motor racing driver who drove for the Marussia F1 Team in the FIA Formula One World Championship. Bianchi had previously raced in Formula Renault 3.5, GP2 and Form ...

Edoardo Mortara Edoardo "Edo" Mortara (born 12 January 1987) is a Swiss- Italian-French professional racing driver for Maserati MSG Racing. Born in Geneva, Switzerland, he holds triple nationality from all three countries. He is a former Formula Three Euros ...

and

Guillaume Moreau Guillaume Moreau (born 8 March 1983 in Limoges, France) is a French racing driver who is currently competing in the Le Mans Series. In 2008, Moreau shared the GT1 class championship with teammate Patrice Goueslard in the Le Mans Series driving a ...

sharing the second seat during the year. The teams' best race result came courtesy of Moreau, who finished third in the second event at

Portimão Portimão () is a city and a municipality in the district of Faro, in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. The population in 2011 was 55,614, in an area of 182.06 km2. It was formerly known as Vila Nova de Portimão (). In 1924, it was ...

. They also finished the season 12th in the teams' championship with 19 points.

KMP Racing

In December 2009, the Formula Renault 3.5 Series organising committee announced the thirteen teams pre–selected to compete in the 2010 season, with SG Formula and KMP Racing listed as two separate entities. The team acquired two cars and other assets from

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English ...

team

Ultimate Motorsport Ultimate Motorsport was a British racing team who completed in the British Formula 3 Championship and the World Series by Renault Championship. The team closed near the end of the 2009 season. History The team were formed in 2007 and was heade ...

, who left the Formula Renault 3.5 Series before the penultimate round of the 2009 season. They also entered into a sponsorship agreement with Russian–based company

Norilsk Nickel Norilsk Nickel (russian: ГМК «Норильский никель»), or Nornickel, is a Russian nickel and palladium mining and smelting company. Its largest operations are located in the Norilsk–Talnakh area near the Yenisei River in the no ...

and appointed former

French Formula Three The French Formula Three Championship was a motor racing series for Formula Three cars held in France between 1964 and 2002. The series was merged with the German Formula Three Championship in 2003 to form the Formula 3 Euro Series The Formula 3 ...

driver

Bruno Besson Bruno Besson (born 26 September 1979 in St. Germain-en-Laye) is a French racing driver. He has competed in such series as World Series by Nissan and the French Formula Three Championship. He won the Eurocup Formula Renault Formula Renault Euroc ...

as their team principal. In February 2010, it was announced that KMP had secured premises in

Colomiers Colomiers (; oc, Colomèrs; Languedocien dialect: ''Colomièrs'') is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in the Occitania region in Southwestern France. With a population of 39,968 as of 2019, it is the largest suburb of the city of Toulou ...

. The team's drivers for the 2010 season were Russian Anton Nebylitskiy, who drove for

Comtec Racing Comtec Racing is a motor racing team based in the United Kingdom. It competes in three championships — Formula Renault, World Series by Renault and the Auto GP World Series. History The team started out in Formula Ford from the ashes o ...

and KMP Group/SG Formula during the 2009 season, and

British Formula 3 The British Formula Three Championship was an international Auto racing, motor racing series that took place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It was a junior-level Formula racing, feeder formula ...

graduate Víctor García. Nebylitskiy took the teams' first podium finish in the opening race at Brno, finishing in third place behind

Brendon Hartley Brendon Hartley (born 10 November 1989) is a New Zealand professional racing driver who is currently competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship with Toyota Gazoo Racing. He won the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship, alongside his te ...

and race winner

Esteban Guerrieri Esteban Guerrieri (born 19 January 1985 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine racing driver. He was the most successful driver in the WTCR series in terms of wins. Career Formula racing After graduating from karts, Guerrieri competed in various ...

. The team finished their first year tenth in the standings with 35 points.

stayed with the team for a second season in 2011. He was joined by

Nelson Panciatici Nelson Panciatici (born 26 September 1988) is a French professional racing driver. Career Karting Born in Reims, Panciatici started his karting career in 1998 and continued until 2004.2012 season the team was re-branded as Team RFR. This abbreviation stands for Russia France Racing or Russian Force Racing. The personnel was almost completely changed.

2010 Formula Renault 3.5 Series The 2010 Formula Renault 3.5 Series was the sixth season of the Open wheel car, single–seater Formula Renault 3.5 Series, category. It began at the Ciudad del Motor de Aragón in Spain on 17 April, and ended at Circuit de Catalunya, also in Spa ...

champion

Mikhail Aleshin Mikhail Petrovich Aleshin ( rus, Михаи́л Петро́вич Алёшин, p=mʲɪxɐˈil pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ɐˈlʲɵʂɨn, born 22 May 1987 in Moscow, Soviet Union) is a Russian professional racing driver and the 2010 champion of the Fo ...

and

was announced as drivers for the 2012 season.

References

{{reflist

External links

Team RFR official website

Official website of KMP Racing

Official website of KMP Group
Russian auto racing teams World Series Formula V8 3.5 teams Auto racing teams established in 2009