RENAULT: A TURBO SAGA FOR 40 YEARS

Renault sees motorsport in general, andFormula 1 in particular, as a laboratory and showcase for its technologicalknow-how. In addition to Renault’s passion for sporting challenges and itstaste for victory, motorsport is a fantastic opportunity for developingleading-edge technologies that later benefit production vehicles, eitherdirectly or indirectly.

Since 1977, Renault’s Formula 1 commitmenthas made it a major player in the discipline, recognized not just for itstitles but also for the innovations featured on its single-seaters and thosethat it has powered to success. It all began with the famous turbocharged V6engine fit on the Renault RS01, which stood as a complete revolution at thetime. Once the novelty, initial hitches and jeering were over, success camefast. July 1, 1979 marked a true turning point in the history of the turbo,with Jean-Pierre Jabouille winning the French Grand Prix in his RS 10 on theDijon-Prenois track and bringing Renault its first victory in the Formula 1World Championship. René Arnoux’s third-place finish, after a Homeric battlewith Gilles Villeneuve in his Ferrari 312T, rounded out the success of theyoung team. Renault had revolutionized motorsport. For the first time, a 1.5liter turbocharged engine had triumphed over the traditional normally aspirated3.0 liter powerplants competing in the premier class competition. The victoryat the 1979 French Grand Prix was the first in a long series of triumphs forRenault, which has notched up 177 wins and 507 top-three finishes in thecategory (chassis and engines).

The heritage of this major innovation havingrevolutionized Formula 1 continues today, as seen in the return of the V6hybrid turbo engines to Formula 1 in 2014. This achievement pays testament toRenault’s vision. By taking up the challenge of the new regulation, Renault hasdrawn on all of its expertise as a Formula 1 engine supplier to furthertechnological innovation. This is a major advantage for its production models,and has been for 40 years now.

“Theidea of transferring the turbo technology used on trucks, notably in the UnitedStates, to Formula 1 competition is without a doubt one of the boldest, andalso most visionary, ideas in the history of motorsport. Transposed tohigh-volume production cars, the turbo has become part of our everyday livesand a symbol of power, speed and progress.”

Cyril Abiteboul - Managing Director of Renault SportRacing