Renault Megane RS 275 sets record at Oz GP

Infiniti Red Bull Racing's young gun, Daniil Kyvat, has set a new record for production cars around the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit two days before the 2015 Australian F1 Grand Prix is due to take place.

Although the production car lap record set was achieved by default, because the Renault Megane RS 275 Trophy-R is the first production to attempt such a feat, the time of 2:23 is nevertheless an impressive effort around the technical 5.3 kilometre circuit.

The $61,990 Renault road car – of which just 250 will ever be built, and 50 are in Australia – achieved an average speed of 133km/h around the 16-turn street circuit – certainly not slow.

"It was a good car, nice to drive. Good suspension and it was a very good feeling. I have driven a Megane RS – not the Trophy-R – before in Moscow once," said the young Russian after setting the record.

"With the Megane RS Trophy-R you can feel it is more sporty, the suspension is more sporty. It is made for proper racing driving," he said after stepping out of the car with a grin on his face.

Renault's Megane RS 275 Trophy-R is much lighter than the regular model, by around 100kg, thanks to the removal of the rear seats and the fitment of a Lithium-ion battery among other things. The lighter weight helps the car achieve improved mid-corner speeds. Fully-adjustable Ohlins suspension also contribute as Kvyat mentioned, and the car has plenty of herbs too – 201kW and 360Nm from its turbo-petrol 2.0-litre engine.

Top speed is rated at 255km/h and it rips from 0-100km/h in a claimed 5.8 seconds.

During 2014 the Renault's hot hatch took out the title of world's fastest front-drive car after setting a lap record of 7:53.3 around the 21km Nurburgring road-circuit in Germany, and also has a lap record around Suzuka in Japan.

"Good driving helps," observed Kvyat when quizzed on what is necessary to set a decent world-first lap time.

"You need to put a lap together knowing the track quite well and not making mistakes – this is key for a good lap time."

Kyvat and Australian team mate Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull Racing F1 race cars for 2015 are powered by Renault engines that were criticised for being underpowered in 2014. Despite this, Daniel Ricciardo was third in the F1 Driver's Championship in 2014, behind the all-conquering Mercedes-Benz drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.