Full name | Renault Sport Formula One Team |
---|---|
Base |
Enstone, United Kingdom (Chassis) Viry-Châtillon, France (Engine) |
Team principal(s) |
Carlos Ghosn (Group Chairman and CEO) Jérôme Stoll (President) Cyril Abiteboul (Managing Director) |
Technical director |
Bob Bell (Chief Technical Officer) Nick Chester (Chassis Technical Director) Rémi Taffin (Engine Technical Director) |
Website | www |
Previous name | Lotus F1 Team |
2017 Formula One season | |
Race drivers |
27. Nico Hülkenberg 30. Jolyon Palmer |
Test drivers | Sergey Sirotkin |
Chassis | R.S.17 |
Engine | Renault R.E.17 |
Tyres | Pirelli |
Formula One World Championship career | |
First entry | 1977 British Grand Prix |
Latest entry | 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
Races entered | 324 |
Constructors' Championships |
2 (2005, 2006) |
Drivers' Championships |
2 (2005, 2006) |
Race victories | 35 |
Pole positions | 51 |
Fastest laps | 31 |
2016 position | 9th (8 pts) |
Renault are currently involved in Formula One as a constructor, under the name of Renault Sport Formula One Team. They have been associated with Formula One as both constructor and engine supplier for various periods since 1977. In 1977, the company entered Formula One as a constructor, introducing the turbo engine to Formula One in its first car, the Renault RS01. In 1983, Renault began supplying engines to other teams. Although the Renault team won races and competed for world titles, it withdrew at the end of 1985. Renault continued supplying engines to other teams until 1986, then again from 1989 to 1997.
Renault returned to Formula One in 2000 when it acquired the Enstone-based Benetton Formula team (formerly Toleman Motorsport). In 2002 Renault re-branded the team as "Renault F1 Team" and started to use Renault as their constructor name, winning both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships in 2005 and 2006.
For the 2011 Formula One season the team competed under the name Lotus Renault GP but retained the Renault constructor name. In 2012, the team changed their constructor name to Lotus and operated as Lotus F1 Team until the end of 2015, when they returned to the control of Renault as a works manufacturer.
Renault has also supplied engines to other teams, including Red Bull Racing (2007–2015), Benetton Formula (1995–1997, 2001) and Williams (1989–1997, 2012–2013). In addition to its two own F1 World Constructors' Championships (2005, 2006) and two Drivers' Championships, as an engine supplier, Renault has contributed to nine other World Drivers' Championships. It has collected over 160 wins as engine supplier, ranking third in Formula One history.
Renault's first involvement in Formula One was made by the Renault Sport subsidiary. Renault entered the last five races of 1977 with Jean-Pierre Jabouille in its only car. The Renault RS01 was well known for its Renault-Gordini V6 1.5 L turbocharged engine, the first regularly used turbo engine in Formula One history. Jabouille's car and engine proved highly unreliable and became something of a joke during its first races, earning the nickname of "Yellow Teapot" and failing to finish any of its races despite being extremely powerful.