The R28 was developed in the wake of the difficult 2007 campaign, during which the R27 had been exposed as uncompetitive and the team's wind tunnel data identified as a source of misleading aerodynamic readings. The R28 project was shaped partly by the early decision to redirect development resources away from the outgoing car, giving the design team more time to prepare a stronger package for 2008.
Alonso received the car's first laps at Valencia on 21 January 2008, a week before the official launch. The formal unveiling took place on 31 January at Renault's communications headquarters in Boulogne-Billancourt on the banks of the Seine in south-west Paris. Alongside confirming Alonso's return, Renault announced Nelson Piquet Jr. as his teammate, making his Formula One debut. Lucas di Grassi, Romain Grosjean, and Sakon Yamamoto were named as official test drivers for the season.
The R28 carried a similar livery to the 2007 car, retaining ING as title sponsor with their distinctive orange, white, yellow, and dark blue colour scheme. New for 2008 was Pepe Jeans as a sponsor. Spanish insurance firm Mutua Madrilena also returned to the car — having previously sponsored McLaren-Mercedes in 2007 — choosing to follow Alonso when he departed McLaren after a turbulent single season. The connection between Mutua Madrilena and the team was therefore personal as much as commercial, tied to Alonso's relationships with Spanish partners.
Pre-season testing was more encouraging than the previous year. Alonso was consistently near the top of the timesheets and the team reported improved understanding of the Bridgestone tyre behaviour — particularly relevant given that adaptation to Bridgestone compounds had been cited as one of the R27's weaknesses. Renault also adjusted to the 2008 regulations that eliminated traction control and engine braking through the standardised ECU, with Alonso noting the team were developing their setup approach accordingly.
In April 2009, Renault conducted a promotional tour in Dubai featuring the R28. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, invited to test drive the car at the Dubai Autodrome, lost control approximately 100 metres after the start line and crashed into the pit wall. The car was destroyed in the impact, though Ben Sulayem emerged uninjured.
The R28 represented Renault's attempt at a reset following the low point of 2007, bringing Alonso back to the stable where he had won his two world titles. The 2008 season itself was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the Singapore Grand Prix and events that would later unravel in the Crashgate scandal, though those events fell outside the car's own technical story. The R28 marked the final chapter of a generation of Renault cars before significant regulatory changes reshaped the competitive landscape in 2009.