Renault is one of the most famous names in motor racing, having won the very first Grand Prix back in 1906. It was more than 25 years after the establishment of the World Championship before the French company joined the Formula 1 ranks.
Renault’s Early Years in Formula 1
Renault’s arrival in Formula 1 was hardly a triumphant one. When the RS01 first appeared at the 1977 British Grand Prix the car was widely ridiculed. Renault had opted to develop a 1.5 litre turbocharged engine, as opposed to the normally aspirated three litre units used by everyone else.
Jean-Pierre Jabouille gave the RS01 its debut, qualifying last and soon dropping out. Throughout the rest of 1977 and 1978 Renault showed glimpses of speed, but suffered from appalling reliability.
The team’s luck changed at Dijon-Prenois in 1979, when Jabouille scored Renault’s maiden victory in the Formula 1 World Championship. His team-mate René Arnoux finished third after a battle with Ferrari’s Gilles Villeneuve which has passed into motor racing legend.
Renault remained at the front of the Formula 1 grid for the next few years. In 1981 the team signed promising young Frenchman Alain Prost. He came agonisingly close to winning the World Championship in 1983, only missing out to Brabham driver Nelson Piquet at the final race.
Despite his impressive season all was not well in the Renault camp and Prost was fired. The team struggled through 1984 and 1985, but had no victories to show for it. After supplying engines for 1986 Renault withdrew from Formula 1 completely.
Renault Win Formula 1 Titles
1989 saw Renault return to Formula 1 as an engine supplier to Williams. The partnership was a fruitful one, and the wins soon came. In 1992 Nigel Mansell drove a Williams-Renault to the title. Prost replaced Mansell for the 1993 season and repeated the feat.
Renault’s then went on to win three consecutive driver’s titles as an engine supplier, with Michael Schumacher (Benetton) in 1995, Damon Hill (Williams) in 1996 and Jacques Villeneuve (Williams) in 1997.
Return of Renault Formula 1 Team
In 2000 Renault acquired the Benetton Formula 1 team, although the name of the outfit did not change until 2002. Fernando Alonso won the following year’s Hungarian Grand Prix and it was the Spaniard who finally won Renault’s first Formula 1 World Championship as a constructor. After taking the title in 2005 Alonso managed to do it again in 2006.
After an unhappy season away at McLaren Alonso returned to Renault for the 2008 season. For 2009 he is partnered by Nelson Piquet, the son of the triple World Champion who deprived Prost and Renault of the title in 1983. Renault also continue to provide engines to other teams. Sebastian Vettel won the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix in a Renault powered Red Bull.
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