Renault F1 TEAM

ING Renault F1 TEAM is a stable of Formule 1, pertaining to the French car manufacturer Renault. Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen is at the wheel of the Renault R27 for the Championnat of the world of Formula 1 2007. In 2007, Renault F1 changes principal partner (for three years) and joint the name of the Dutch group ING with that of the stable.

History of the stable

Beginnings

Renault is present in automobile competition since more than one century. It is besides Renault which gains the first automobile Grand Prix of the history, in 1906 (Grand Prix of the ACF). Before this date, one will announce the victory of Louis Renault over Renault in 1899 over the race Paris - Ostend. In 1900, Louis Renault gains Paris Toulouse - Paris. In 1901, three Renault finish in the first three places of the race Paris Bordeaux.

Louis Renault stops the competition in 1903 following the death of his brother Marcel Renault in the race Paris-Madrid, stopped with Bordeaux because of the number of accidents fatal. The Renault cars are aligned however on the first Grand Prix of France in 1906 when triumph the French of Hungarian origin Ferenc Szisz. In 1907, Szisz must be satisfied with the second place behind FIAT of Felice Nazzaro. Disappointing results on the other hand at the time of the Grand Prix of France 1908: Szisz gives up on breaking of wheel, Serguey Dimitriewich finishes eighth and Gustave Caillois fifteenth. After this failure, Renault withdraws automobile competition.

The beginnings Formulates 1 of them

Renault awaits 1977 to join the Formule 1. The vehicles of the mark to the rhombus which make their appearance at the semi-season with the GP of Great Britain are revolutionists: they are equipped with a turbo, pursuant to an equivalence which limits the cubic capacity of the French engine to 1.500 cm ³ (against 3.000 cm ³ with competition). The development of the turbo engine inevitably causes some disappointments at the time of the first Grand Prix, with many abandonments which cause the mocking remarks of competition. Renault is thus affublée by the British of the not very flattering nickname of Yellow Tea Pot (the yellow teapot) in reference to its annoying tendency to finish its races in a cloud of smoke. Jean-Pierre Jabouille is then the pilot of the single yellow car on the grid in 1977 and 1978. At the time of this second season, the reliability of the turbo engine improves and the stable collects its first points.

From 1979, Renault aligns from now on two cars in Grand Prix and Rene Arnoux joined Jean-Pierre Jabouille. After having signed a pole position in South Africa, Jabouille gains the Grand Prix of France to Dijon after both Renault had monopolized the first line of the starting grid. Arnoux finishes third after a duel epic with Gilles Villeneuve. The triumph on its grounds is total for Renault which won its bet on the turbo one. Gradually, all the other stables will be driven by turbo engine until the prohibition of this technology at the end of 1988.

In 1980, Arnoux gains the Grand Prix of the Brésil and South Africa while Jabouille knows problems with repetition. Alain Prost replaces Jabouille in 1981. The future quadruple world champion removes three Grand Prix at the time of its first season at Renault, helping the stable to hang a third place with the classification of the manufacturers. In 1982, Renault records four successes in Grand Prix: two for Prost, two for Arnoux, allowing the stable to consolidate its third place with the classification of the manufacturers. Disappointment is however sharp for Renault, which seemed able to gain the world titles, but which after a beautiful beginning of the season, suffered from recurring problems of reliability as well as errors of its pilots. At the end of 1982, in conflict with Prost, Arnoux leaves the stable to join Ferrari. It is replaced by young American Eddie Cheever. Favorite for the world title, Alain Prost gains four victories in Grand Prix, and seems sovereign with the championship. But the return at the end of the season of Nelson Piquet deprives it of the title and it must be satisfied with the second place to the championship of the world of the pilots. Cheever between six times in the points and Renault gains a place with the classification of the manufacturers, second behind Ferrari. The difficult end of season of Renault having involved sharp tensions within the French team, Prost is released of its contract to take again the official terminology.

After the departure of Alain Prost, Renault buckles two seasons with Patrick Tambay and Derek Warwick, but the stable slips with the classification of the manufacturers in fifth position (1984) then in seventh position (1985). Renault then decides to close its stable of Formule 1, preferring to be satisfied to be a motor mechanic for other stables at the time of the season 1986, a role filled since 1983 with the team Lotus (profitable association, marked by the brilliant performances of Elio de Angelis then of Ayrton Senna in particular), then with Ligier and Tyrrell.

The return in F1 as a motor mechanic

After two years out of F1 (but during which a technological cell of day before is maintained), Renault carries out its return to Formula 1 in 1989, but only as a motor mechanic, on behalf of the stable Williams (of 1989 to 1997) then Benetton (of 1995 to 1997). This policy proves to be paying since Renault is affirmed in the years 1990 like the best motor mechanic of the plate, with many championships of the world to the key. Let us note on this subject that there does not exist officially of championship of the world of the motor mechanics, and that when one speaks about the titles of Renault, it is more exact to speak about his association to the world titles of the pilots and stables equipped by the mark with the rhombus.

In 1997, Renault is withdrawn officially after its sixth consecutive title with the championship of the manufacturers. On the whole, these are eleven titles that Renault gained with the stables Williams and Benetton (6 titles pilot manufacturer and 5 titles). Renault however continues to be present in F1, by the means of its subcontractor Mecachrome (1998) and of the company Supertec (1999 to 2000), by providing engines customers (i.e. paying) to Williams, Benetton, but also BAR and Arrows.

The return in F1 as a stable

After having repurchased the stable Benetton at the beginning of the season 2000, Renault returns officially in Formule 1 as motor mechanic in 2001 and stable under its proper name in 2002. The managing director is a figure of the world of the Formule 1: Flavio Briatore (ex-Benetton). The stable in full rebuilding, and which launched out on a daring technical voice while amounting in F1 with an engine V10 to extra-broad angle (one will speak about 110 or 111°) sorrow logically signing its first convincing results: it finishes 7th championship manufacturer in 2001 and 4th in 2002. In 2003, the slow one but regular progression of Renault is concretized by its first victory since its return in Grand Prix, at the time of the Grand Prix of Hungary 2003, gained by Fernando Alonso. Renault finishes 4th this year. In 2004, whereas Renault returned to a more traditional motorization the stable gains also the prestigious Large-Price of Monaco 2004 with Jarno Trulli and finishes in the third place of the championship of the manufacturers. The rise to power of Renault however is opposed by a very difficult end of season which makes it possible the Bar-Honda stable to blow the 2nd place of general classification to him. At Renault, one then explains this final in free wheel by the will to concentrate earlier than competition on the development of the car of the following year, a tactic which will bear its fruits.

In 2005, Renault F1 TEAM aligns in Grand Prix a very new car, the “R25”. Its engine contains 98% of new parts compared to the model 2004. The work of the winter is concretized as of the first Grand Prix of the season in Australia. Giancarlo Fisichella takes down the pole and gains the race, while Fernando Alonso sign the third place and best time in race. The stable continues on its impetus in Malaysia, with Bahrain, the Grand Prix of Marine Saint, with the Grand Prix of Europe, the Grand Prix of France and the Grand Prix of Germany with six victories of Fernando Alonso. Dominating at the beginning of season, R25 seems in the middle be marking it the step in pure performances compared to McLaren-Mercedes, its principal competitors. But extremely of its advance to the championships pilot and manufacturer, Renault especially managed the evolution of its car so as not to compromise its reliability, Achilles' heel of its adversaries. With the GP of Brazil, antepenultimate sleeve of the season, Fernando Alonso gains the title of the pilots. Then, at the time of the GP of China, last sleeve of the championship, a new victory of Alonso makes it possible its stable to make sure the championship of the world of the manufacturers. Renault becomes at this time the first car manufacturer general practitioner to gain the world crown Formulates 1 of them.

In spite of one disturbed winter, marked by the advertisement of the future departure of Alonso, as with alarmist rumors on the future of Renault in F1 (rumors which were raised only in spring 2006, Renault announcing its long-term attachment in F1), the French stable began its countryside 2006 with 7 victories with Bahrain, Sepang, Melbourne, Barcelona, Monaco, Silverstone and Montreal, including 6 for Alonso. It marks time vis-a-vis Ferrari during the summer. Playing between bad luck and bad choice, the stable will see its advance on Ferrari melting like snows with the sun. The International federation of the Car will have even surprising decisions (even litigious for some as an astonishing penalty for Alonso in Italy) which will cause wrong to Renault and its pilots, like the removal of the Farmhouse Dumper. But the French stable overcomes the affronts well. Alonso will gain even the GP of Japan after a breakage of Schumacher. By finishing 2nd GP of Brazil, behind Felipe Massed, the Spaniard allocates the title controls and offers to Renault the title manufacturer. Here are which concludes a superb partnership between the stable with the rhombus and the Spaniard.

Separation between Renault and Alonso, left to McLaren Mercedes, let forecast one season 2007 difficult for the team. With that a difficult adaptation of the R27 news is added to the tires provided by Bridgestone, from now on only manufacturer in F1 after the departure of Michelin. And in fact, as of the stroke opening in Australia, the fall is hard. Giancarlo Fisichella, whose contract was prolonged as of the summer 2006, finishes with one 5th rather opportunist place while its new fellow-member, the neophyte Heikki Kovalainen finishes out of the points after an entry as regards most unmethodical. It does better at the time the following GP at the same time as the single-seater from now on yellow and orange gains in competitiveness. Nevertheless, after 4 GP, the Renault team counts only 11 points, forty less than at the same stage of the season 2006. And yet, the team makes a success of its first podium of the season at the time of a chamboulesque race, the Grand Prix of Japan to the Fuji Mount. It is Heikki Kovalainen which adapts the 2nd place with the nose of Kimi Raïkkonen on Ferrari.

Classification of the manufacturers

As a motor mechanic only: to see Renault Sport

See too

Renault
Renault Sport
Toleman
Benetton Formulated

external Bond

Official site of the ING Renault F1 TEAM

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