Renault in Formula One facts for kids
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| Full name | Renault Formula 1 Team |
|---|---|
| Base | Viry-Châtillon, Essonne, France (1977–1985) Enstone, Oxfordshire, England, UK (2002–2011, 2016–2020) |
| Noted staff | Bernard Dudot Jean Sage Patrick Faure Bob Bell Éric Boullier Alain Dassas Alan Permane James Allison Flavio Briatore Mike Gascoyne John Iley Steve Nielsen Pat Symonds Dino Toso Dirk de Beer Frédéric Vasseur Rob White Cyril Abiteboul |
| Noted drivers |  Fernando Alonso Alain Prost René Arnoux Giancarlo Fisichella Jean-Pierre Jabouille Jarno Trulli |
| Previous name | Benetton Formula (1986–2001) Lotus F1 Team (2012–2015) |
| Next name | Alpine F1 Team |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| First entry | 1977 British Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
| Races entered | 403 (400 starts) |
| Engines | Renault |
| Constructors' Championships |
2 (2005, 2006) |
| Drivers' Championships |
2 (2005, 2006) |
| Race victories | 35 |
| Podiums | 103 |
| Points | 1777 |
| Pole positions | 51 |
| Fastest laps | 33 |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
|---|---|
| First entry | 1977 British Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2019 Monaco Grand Prix |
| Races entered | 660 (657 starts) |
| Chassis | Renault, Lotus, Ligier, Tyrrell, Williams, Benetton, Red Bull, Lotus (2011), Lotus (2012–14), Caterham, Toro Rosso, McLaren, Alpine |
| Constructors' Championships | 12 (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) |
| Drivers' Championships |
11 (1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) |
| Race victories | 168 |
| Podiums | 459 |
| Points | 7746.5 |
| Pole positions | 213 |
| Fastest laps | 176 |
Renault, a French car company, has been a big part of Formula One racing since 1977. They have been involved in two main ways: as a team that builds and races its own cars (called a "constructor") and as a company that makes engines for other teams.
In 1977, Renault joined Formula One as a constructor. They were the first to use a special kind of engine called a turbo engine. This was a big deal! By 1983, Renault also started making engines for other teams. Even though their own team won some races, they stopped racing as a constructor at the end of 1985. However, other teams kept using Renault engines until 1986.
Renault came back to Formula One in 1989, but only as an engine maker. They were super successful, helping teams like Williams and Benetton win many championships between 1992 and 1997. After 1997, they stopped being directly involved, but their engines were still used by other teams until 2000.
In 2000, Renault bought the Benetton Formula team. This team was then renamed Renault in 2002. This new Renault team won both the drivers' and constructors' championships in 2005 and 2006.
By 2011, Renault sold their part of the team, but they still made engines. They helped Red Bull Racing win four more championships between 2010 and 2013.
The company bought the team back again in 2016 and called it Renault once more. They didn't win any races in the next five seasons. In 2021, the team changed its name to Alpine, but Renault still makes the engines for them.
Overall, as a team owner, Renault has won 2 championships for constructors (the team itself) and 2 for drivers. As an engine maker, they have helped teams win 12 constructors' championships and 11 drivers' championships. They have won over 160 races as an engine supplier, which is one of the best records in Formula One history!
Contents
- Renault as a Racing Team
- Renault as an Engine Supplier (1983–2025)
- Alpine Academy
- Formula One Results
- Images for kids
- See also
Renault as a Racing Team
The Early Years (1977–1985)
Starting the Turbo Revolution (1977–1979)
Renault's first time in Formula One was with their special Renault Sport division. They joined the last five races of 1977 with driver Jean-Pierre Jabouille. Their car, the Renault RS01, was famous for its 1.5-liter turbocharged engine. This was the first time a turbo engine was regularly used in Formula One!
At first, the car and engine were not very reliable. People even joked and called it the "Yellow Teapot" because it often broke down. Despite being powerful, it didn't finish many races.
Things slowly got better. In 1978, the team started to show some promise. They even finished a race for the first time, getting fourth place and their first points in Formula One.
In 1979, Renault had two drivers: Jean-Pierre Jabouille and René Arnoux. At the French Grand Prix in Dijon, something amazing happened. Both Renault cars started at the front of the race. Jabouille won the race, making history as the first driver to win a Grand Prix with a turbocharged car! Arnoux also had an exciting battle for second place. This win proved that Renault's turbo technology was here to stay.
Becoming a Top Team (1980–1983)
René Arnoux continued to win races in 1980, especially in places with high altitudes where the Renault cars were very strong. Jabouille also won a race that year. Sadly, Jabouille had a bad crash at the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix which ended his racing career.
Alain Prost joined Renault in 1981. In his three years with the team, Prost became a Formula One superstar. The Renault cars were among the best, finishing third in the Constructors' Championship twice and second once. Prost won nine races with Renault, and Arnoux won two more in 1982.
In 1983, Renault and Prost almost won the drivers' championship, but they lost out in the very last race.
Saying Goodbye (1984–1985)
After 1983, Prost left the team. Renault brought in Patrick Tambay and Derek Warwick. The team wasn't as strong in 1984 and 1985 because other teams had caught up with turbo engines. In 1985, Renault had money problems and decided to stop being a full racing team. They became just an engine supplier for the 1986 season, and then left Formula One completely at the end of that year.
The Enstone Era Begins (2002–2010)
Buying Benetton (2000–2001)
On March 16, 2000, Renault bought the Benetton Formula team. This team was based in Enstone, England. Renault kept the Benetton name for the 2000 and 2001 seasons, but the Renault name came back for engines in 2001. In 2002, the team was officially renamed Renault F1.
A New Start (2002–2004)
In 2002, the team became Renault F1. Their drivers were Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button. They scored 23 points that season. Renault also changed its racing license from Italian to French.
In 2003, Fernando Alonso joined the team as a race driver. He had been a test driver the year before and was very impressive. Alonso won the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix, which was Renault's first Grand Prix win since 1983! Renault was known for trying new and innovative designs during this time.
In 2004, the team was fighting for second place in the Constructors' Championship. Trulli won the famous Monaco Grand Prix. Later in the season, Trulli left the team early and was replaced by former World Champion Jacques Villeneuve for the last three races. The team finished third in the championship.
Back-to-Back Championships (2005–2006)
Giancarlo Fisichella joined Renault for the 2005 season. He won the first race in Australia. Then, Fernando Alonso won the next three races, building a big lead in the championship. Alonso went on to win the Drivers' Championship, becoming the youngest driver ever to do so at the time! Renault also won the Constructors' Championship, ending Ferrari's six-year winning streak. This was Renault's first time winning the title as a team.
For 2006, Alonso and Fisichella stayed with the team. Their new car, the R26, was very strong. Alonso won the first race in Bahrain and the Australian Grand Prix. Fisichella won in Malaysia, giving Renault their first one-two finish (where their two cars finish first and second) since 1982! Alonso continued to win races, including his home Grand Prix in Spain and the Monaco Grand Prix.
The team celebrated its 200th Grand Prix at Silverstone, which Alonso won. Alonso also won the Canadian Grand Prix. Renault won the Constructors' Championship again in 2006, making it two years in a row!
Challenges Without Alonso (2007)
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In 2007, Fernando Alonso left the team. Renault's drivers were Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen. The team struggled compared to their winning seasons. They didn't score as many points and found it harder to compete at the front.
A Mix of Ups and Downs (2008)
Fernando Alonso returned to Renault for 2008, partnering with Nelson Piquet Jr.. The team had a slow start to the season. However, things improved later in the year. Piquet Jr. got a second-place finish at the 2008 German Grand Prix, which was Renault's first podium of the year.
Then, at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, Alonso won the race! This was his first win of the season and Renault's first win since 2006. It was also the first Formula One race ever held at night under floodlights. Alonso won again at the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix. The team finished the season strongly, showing they were getting back to their competitive form.
Team Changes and New Drivers (2010)
In 2010, Renault sold most of its shares in the team to a company called Genii Capital. Renault still owned 25% and continued to supply engines. Robert Kubica joined as a driver, and later Vitaly Petrov became his teammate, making him Russia's first Formula One driver.
Kubica had a great season, getting a second-place finish in Australia and a third-place in Monaco. Petrov also scored his first points in Formula One. The team showed good speed throughout the year.
Lotus Renault GP: Renault Steps Back (2011)
In late 2010, Renault decided to reduce its involvement and become mainly an engine supplier again. The team was renamed Lotus Renault GP for 2011 due to a sponsorship deal with Lotus Cars. Renault still supplied engines and expertise. The team even raced under a British license instead of a French one that year.
Sadly, Robert Kubica was seriously injured in a rally accident before the season started. Nick Heidfeld was signed to replace him. Petrov got his first and only podium finish in Formula One, coming third in Australia. Heidfeld also finished third in Malaysia. However, the team's performance started to drop as the season went on. Heidfeld was later replaced by Bruno Senna.
At the end of 2011, the team announced that Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean would be their drivers for 2012. The team would then be known as the Lotus F1 Team.
Renault Sport Formula One Team (2016–2020)
Returning as a Team (2016)
On December 3, 2015, Renault announced they had bought the Lotus F1 Team back. They were preparing to race as the Renault Sport Formula One Team in 2016. This meant Renault was back as a full racing team!
Their drivers for 2016 were Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer. The team finished the season in ninth place with 8 points.
Building Up (2017–2018)
In 2017, Nico Hülkenberg joined the team. Jolyon Palmer stayed for part of the season but was later replaced by Carlos Sainz Jr.. The team improved, finishing sixth in the championship with 57 points.
Hülkenberg and Sainz Jr. continued to drive for Renault in 2018. They had a strong season, finishing fourth in the championship with 122 points.
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New Drivers and Challenges (2019)
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For 2019, Daniel Ricciardo joined the team to race alongside Hülkenberg. The team faced some problems with their car's reliability and performance. They finished fifth in the Constructors' Championship.
Back on the Podium (2020)
Esteban Ocon joined Renault for the 2020 season, replacing Nico Hülkenberg. The season was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Belgium, Renault had a great race, finishing fourth and fifth, scoring many points.
At the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo scored a third-place finish. This was the team's first podium since 2011! Ricciardo got another third-place finish at the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Esteban Ocon also scored a second-place finish at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, which was his first podium and Renault's third of the season. Renault finished fifth in the Constructors' Championship.
After 2020, the Renault team was rebranded as Alpine for the 2021 season.
Renault as an Engine Supplier (1983–2025)
The First Turbo Engines (1983–1986)
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Renault started making Formula One engines in 1976. They created the first turbocharged engine, a 1.5-liter V6. At first, they only supplied engines to their own team. But in 1983, they began supplying engines to other teams like Team Lotus.
Even though Renault stopped racing as a team after 1985, their engines continued to be used by other teams like Ligier, Tyrrell, and Lotus in 1986. Renault engines helped these customer teams achieve 19 pole positions and 5 Grand Prix wins.
Return with Naturally Aspirated Engines (1989–2010)
Success with Williams and Benetton (1989–1997)
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Renault came back as an engine supplier in 1989 when turbo engines were banned. They partnered with the Williams team. Renault created a new type of V10 engine. The Williams-Renault combination won its first race in 1989.
By 1992, the Williams-Renault car was a championship winner! Driver Nigel Mansell won the drivers' title, and the team won more than half the races. Williams won again in 1993 with Alain Prost winning the Drivers' Championship.
In 1994, Williams won the Constructors' Championship again, even after a very difficult season.
In 1995, Benetton started using Renault engines. Their driver, Michael Schumacher, won the drivers' title, and Benetton won the constructors' title. Williams then won the next two seasons, with Damon Hill winning in 1996 and Jacques Villeneuve in 1997.
Helping Red Bull Win (2007–2010)
After Renault bought the Benetton team, they didn't supply engines to other teams until 2007. That year, they started supplying engines to Red Bull Racing. Red Bull was a midfield team at first. But in 2009, they got their first win with a Renault engine.
In 2010, Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull won both the drivers' and constructors' championships! This was the ninth title for a Renault engine.
The Hybrid Era and Beyond (2011–2025)
More Wins with Red Bull (2011–2013)
In 2010, Renault sold its remaining part of the Formula One team. The engine part became a separate company called Renault Sport F1. They continued to supply engines to their old team (now Lotus Renault GP) and to Red Bull. Red Bull Racing became Renault's main partner and received free engines.
Red Bull won both championships again in 2011 and 2012 with Sebastian Vettel. In 2012, Williams also started using Renault engines again. Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel won their fourth championships in a row in 2013!
New Hybrid Engines and Challenges (2014–2025)
For 2014, Formula One introduced new rules for engines, requiring 1.6-liter V6 turbocharged hybrid engines. Renault developed a new engine called the Energy F1-2014.
At first, the new Renault engines had some reliability problems and weren't as fast as their rivals. Red Bull even complained about the performance. Renault worked hard to improve them.
In 2015, Red Bull tried to switch engine suppliers but couldn't, so they continued with Renault engines, but rebranded them as TAG Heuer in 2016. Renault also stopped supplying engines to Scuderia Toro Rosso.
In 2017, Toro Rosso returned to Renault power. In September 2017, McLaren announced they would use Renault engines from 2018 to 2020. However, Toro Rosso then switched to Honda engines, and Red Bull also decided to use Honda engines from 2019.
When McLaren switched to Mercedes engines for 2021, Renault became the engine supplier for only one team again, the newly rebranded Alpine.
Despite a win for Alpine driver Esteban Ocon in 2021, the Renault power unit continued to struggle compared to engines from Honda, Ferrari, and Mercedes.
Because of these ongoing challenges and the high costs, Renault announced on September 29, 2024, that they would stop their factory engine program after 2025. Alpine will switch to Mercedes engines from the 2026 season onwards.
Formula One Engine Supplier Results (Excludes Factory Team)
| Constructor | Season(s) | Total wins | First win | Last win | Pole positions | First pole | Last pole |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Lotus |
1983–1986 | 5 | 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix | 1986 Detroit Grand Prix | 19 | 1983 European Grand Prix | 1986 Mexican Grand Prix |
 Ligier |
1984–1986, 1992–1994 | 0 | – | – | 0 | – | – |
| Tyrrell |
1985–1986 | 0 | – | – | 0 | – | – |
| Williams |
1989–1997, 2012–2013 | 64 | 1989 Canadian Grand Prix | 2012 Spanish Grand Prix | 80 | 1989 Hungarian Grand Prix | 2012 Spanish Grand Prix |
| / Benetton |
1995–1997, 2001 | 12 | 1995 Brazilian Grand Prix | 1997 German Grand Prix | 6 | 1995 San Marino Grand Prix | 1997 Italian Grand Prix |
 Red Bull |
2007–2015 | 50 | 2009 Chinese Grand Prix | 2014 Belgian Grand Prix | 53 | 2009 Chinese Grand Prix | 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix |
 Lotus |
2011 | 0 | – | – | 0 | – | – |
| Lotus |
2012–2014 | 2 | 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | 2013 Australian Grand Prix | 0 | – | – |
| Caterham |
2012–2014 | 0 | – | – | 0 | – | – |
| Toro Rosso |
2014–2015 | 0 | – | – | 0 | – | – |
| McLaren |
2018–2020 | 0 | – | – | 0 | – | – |
| Alpine |
2021–2025 | 1 | 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix | 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix | 0 | – | – |
| Total | 1983–2025 | 134 | 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix | 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix | 158 | 1983 European Grand Prix | 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix |
Alpine Academy
When Renault returned to Formula One, they started a program called the Alpine Academy. This program helps find and train young drivers who might become future Formula One World Champions. The academy was renamed Alpine Academy when the Renault F1 Team became the Alpine F1 Team in 2021.
Formula One Results
As a team that builds and races its own cars (a constructor), Renault has achieved these results:
- Constructors' Championships winning percentage: 8%
- Drivers' Championships winning percentage: 8%
- Winning percentage: 8.7%
| Formula One results | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Bold indicates championships won.) | ||||||||
| Year | Name | Car | Engine | Tyres | No. | Drivers | Points | WCC |
| 1977 | Équipe Renault Elf |
RS01 | EF1 1.5 V6 t | M | 15. | Jean-Pierre Jabouille |
0 | NC |
| 1978 | Équipe Renault Elf |
RS01 | EF1 1.5 V6 t | M | 15. | Jean-Pierre Jabouille |
3 | 12th |
| 1979 | Équipe Renault Elf |
RS01 RS10 |
EF1 1.5 V6 t | M | 15. 16. |
Jean-Pierre Jabouille René Arnoux |
26 | 6th |
| 1980 | Équipe Renault Elf |
RE20 | EF1 1.5 V6 t | M | 15. 16. |
Jean-Pierre Jabouille René Arnoux |
38 | 4th |
| 1981 | Équipe Renault Elf |
RE20B RE30 |
EF1 1.5 V6 t | M | 15. 16. |
Alain Prost René Arnoux |
54 | 3rd |
| 1982 | Équipe Renault Elf |
RE30B | EF1 1.5 V6 t | M | 15. 16. |
Alain Prost René Arnoux |
62 | 3rd |
| 1983 | Équipe Renault Elf |
RE30C RE40 |
EF1 1.5 V6 t | M | 15. 16. |
Alain Prost Eddie Cheever |
79 | 2nd |
| 1984 | Équipe Renault Elf |
RE50 | EF4 1.5 V6 t | M | 15. 16. 33. |
Patrick Tambay Derek Warwick Philippe Streiff |
34 | 5th |
| 1985 | Équipe Renault Elf |
RE60 RE60B |
EF4B 1.5 V6 t EF15 1.5 V6 t |
G | 14. 15. 16. |
François Hesnault Patrick Tambay Derek Warwick |
16 | 7th |
| 1986–2001: Renault did not compete as a constructor | ||||||||
| 2002 | Mild Seven Renault F1 Team |
R202 | RS22 3.0 V10 | M | 14. 15. |
Jarno Trulli Jenson Button |
23 | 4th |
| 2003 | Mild Seven Renault F1 Team |
R23 R23B |
RS23 3.0 V10 | M | 7. 8. |
Jarno Trulli Fernando Alonso |
88 | 4th |
| 2004 | Mild Seven Renault F1 Team |
R24 | RS24 3.0 V10 | M | 7. 7. 8. |
Jarno Trulli Jacques Villeneuve Fernando Alonso |
105 | 3rd |
| 2005 | Mild Seven Renault F1 Team |
R25 | RS25 3.0 V10 | M | 5. 6. |
Fernando Alonso Giancarlo Fisichella |
191 | 1st |
| 2006 | Mild Seven Renault F1 Team |
R26 | RS26 2.4 V8 | M | 1. 2. |
Fernando Alonso Giancarlo Fisichella |
206 | 1st |
| 2007 | ING Renault F1 Team |
R27 | RS27 2.4 V8 | B | 3. 4. |
Giancarlo Fisichella Heikki Kovalainen |
51 | 3rd |
| 2008 | ING Renault F1 Team |
R28 | RS27 2.4 V8 | B | 5. 6. |
Fernando Alonso Nelson Piquet Jr. |
80 | 4th |
| 2009 | ING Renault F1 Team Renault F1 Team |
R29 | RS27 2.4 V8 | B | 7. 8. 8. |
Fernando Alonso Nelson Piquet Jr. Romain Grosjean |
26 | 8th |
| 2010 | Renault F1 Team |
R30 | RS27-2010 2.4 V8 | B | 11. 12. |
 Robert Kubica Vitaly Petrov |
163 | 5th |
| 2011 | Lotus Renault GP |
R31 | RS27-2011 2.4 V8 | P | 9. 9. 10. |
 Nick Heidfeld Bruno Senna Vitaly Petrov |
73 | 5th |
| 2012–2015: Renault did not compete as a constructor | ||||||||
| 2016 | Renault Sport F1 Team |
R.S.16 | R.E.16 1.6 V6 t | P | 20. 30. |
 Kevin Magnussen Jolyon Palmer |
8 | 9th |
| 2017 | Renault Sport F1 Team |
R.S.17 | R.E.17 1.6 V6 t | P | 27. 30. 55. |
Nico Hülkenberg Jolyon Palmer Carlos Sainz Jr. |
57 | 6th |
| 2018 | Renault Sport F1 Team |
R.S.18 | R.E.18 1.6 V6 t | P | 27. 55. |
Nico Hülkenberg Carlos Sainz Jr. |
122 | 4th |
| 2019 | Renault F1 Team |
R.S.19 | E-Tech 19 1.6 V6 t | P | 3. 27. |
 Daniel Ricciardo Nico Hülkenberg |
91 | 5th |
| 2020 | Renault DP World F1 Team |
R.S.20 | E-Tech 20 1.6 V6 t | P | 3. 31. |
Daniel Ricciardo Esteban Ocon |
181 | 5th |
Images for kids
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In 1979, the Renault RS10 became the first turbocharged car to win a Grand Prix.
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Jolyon Palmer driving for Renault Malaysia GP 2016
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Vitaly Petrov in the Senna corner (2010 Canadian GP)
See also
In Spanish: Renault en Fórmula 1 para niños
