From the revolutionary V6 turbo to the fabulous V10: the glorious history of Renault engines in F1

Renault EF1

6L V1.5 turbo engine
15 victories between 1977 and 1983

© DPPI

When Renault disembarks Formula 1, in this 1977 British Grand Prix (a July 14 weekend!), the Diamond arrives with a unique and revolutionary engine: a small 6-liter V1,5… powered by a turbocharger! Unprecedented in the discipline and a huge risk on the part of the French manufacturer, who dares to shake up the codes for its debut in F1.

The first season of the Renault EF1 turned out to be… complicated, so to speak: the engine designed by Bernard Dudot and his team was unreliable, lacking in power and not easy to use with a huge "turbo lag", a waiting time between pressing the accelerator pedal and the turbo charging. The V6 turbo breaks down so often that the Anglo-Saxons nickname it the car French the "Yellow Teapot", literally the “Yellow Teapot”.

However, successes were not long in coming: after two years of intense development, Renault won its first Formula 1 victory at the 1979 French Grand Prix thanks to Jean-Pierre Jabouille. The engine, lighter than its competitors, also became more powerful over the years, reaching 650 horsepower in 1983!

Unfortunately, the Renault EF1 would never be crowned world champion: dominant in 1982 and 1983, the Régie failed to convert the test with Alain Prost. With other engine manufacturers having had time to take over and develop the turbo engine, Renault failed to stay at the top in the mid-1980s with the upcoming EF4 engine. The Diamond nevertheless transformed Formula 1, and motorsport, forever.

Renault RS1 to RS9

10L then 3.5L naturally aspirated V3.0 engine (from 1995)
80 victories between 1989 and 1997
6 Constructors titles (Williams in 1992/1993/19941996/1997, Benetton in 1995)

© DPPI

Less than three years after the engine program was put on hold, Renault returned in 1989 with a completely new block: a naturally aspirated V10 (the turbo having been banned from 1989 onwards) at 67°, a new cylinder inclination angle. A surprising choice, since at that time, the teams were split between a lightweight V8 and a powerful V12. The Diamond decided to split the difference with this 10-liter V3,5, named RS (for Renault Sport). The engine was also equipped with a pneumatic valve booster, an innovation introduced on the previous turbo V6 in 1986.

The 67° angle allows for a more compact engine and therefore more permissive aerodynamics. Unlike the V6 turbo, the first successes were immediate with its customer team, almost official as the partnership was strong: Williams. Two victories in 1989, as many in 1990 and from 1991, Williams-Renault established itself as a leading team. The potential of the French engine manufacturer associated with the innovation of the team made sparks fly and in 1992, thanks to the FW14 with active suspension, Renault won its first world title as an engine manufacturer!

The beginning of a golden era: between 1992 and 1997, Renault won all the Constructors' titles with Williams and Benetton thanks to its fabulous V10, light, powerful and reliable. The change in regulations in 1995 – which reduced the size of the engines from 3,5 litres to 3,0 litres – would not change anything: the French clan outrageously dominated the discipline with a historic six in a row. At the end of 1997, alas, Renault decided to end the official engine programme, while establishing a technical and financial partnership with Mecachrome for the operation and development of the V10 engines in 1998 and 1999.

Renault RS21 to RS25

10L naturally aspirated V3.0 engine
10 victories between 2001 and 2005
1 Constructors title (Renault in 2005)

© DPPI

History repeated itself again at the beginning of the 1980st century: as in the 1s, it would only take three years for the Diamond to return to Formula 2000. Renault decided to buy the Benetton team in 2001 and to confirm its return to the discipline as a manufacturer. It was not until 10 that the Renault name returned to the engine, with a brand new V110. The latter was inclined at 10°, an angle that was once again unprecedented because it was much more open than the other VXNUMXs of the time.

This 10-litre 110° V3,0 has an advantage and a disadvantage: on the one hand, the high-opening engine allows the single-seater's centre of gravity to be lowered as much as possible, making it more stable when cornering and therefore faster. On the other hand, this new inclination is more prone to breakages and unreliability... and this did not escape the French team in the early 2000s. Very fast on a flying lap and on starts, particularly in 2003, the RS21 to RS23 engines often broke down. Fernando Alonso However, he would go on to secure the Diamond's first victory at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix since the 1980s.

In 2004, a change in the technical regulations (only one engine per weekend) forced Renault to revise its plans: the unreliable 10° V110 was gone, replaced by a much more conventional 72° structure. The engine gained in weight, but above all in power, and the French clan dominated the top of the rankings in 2005: for the first time in its history, Renault won the Drivers' and Constructors' titles under its own name! An ideal end to the adventure with the V10, which was to give way to the V8 the following season...

Renault RS26 – RS27

8L naturally aspirated V2.4 engine
64 victories between 2006 and 2013
5 Constructors' titles (Renault in 2006, Red Bull in 2010/2011/2012/2013)

© DR

After the V6 turbo and the V10 atmo, Renault is therefore trying its hand at the naturally aspirated V8, subject to the new engine regulations imposed in 2006. An engine with a classic architecture with a 90° opening and a 2,4-litre displacement, as required by the regulations. This time, there is no major technical revolution, but Renault is drawing on its long and glorious experience as an engine manufacturer to produce a reliable and high-performance engine from its first season of use.

After their 2005 title, Renault and Fernando Alonso continued in 2006, beating the Ferrari de Michael Schumacher thanks to a winning combination with Michelin in particular. If the engine does not make a big difference, the performances between each engine manufacturer being increasingly weaker as the season goes on, the flexibility of the Renault engine is recognized and its use is easier than the other engines.

After a lull between 2007 and 2011, with notably a failed introduction of the KERS (kinetic recovery system), Renault gradually faded from Formula 1 until leaving it definitively at the end of 2011… but not for the engine program. Indeed, the Diamond continues to supply its engines to its customer teams, notably Red Bull. The Austrian team uses the RS27, an engine block launched in 2007 which benefits from the freezing of engine regulations at the end of the 2007 season.

Although the French engine is slightly less powerful than its competitors, the collaboration between Renault and Red Bull will result in a period of unchallenged domination between 2010 and 2013, thanks in particular to Sebastian Vettel. Four more Constructors' World Championship titles for Renault, which brings its total to 12 world titles: even today, the Diamond brand is the second most successful engine manufacturer in Formula 1 behind Ferrari!

ALSO READ > Alpine : Renault Group confirms the death of its engine