Renault Alpine A442
Encyclopedia
The Renault Alpine A442 is a sports prototype
racing car, designed and built by Alpine
, but funded and powered by Alpine's owners Renault
, specifically to contest the 24 Hours of Le Mans
race. Variants were entered for the event in 1976
, 1977
and 1978
. An A442B finally won the race on the third occasion, in the hands of Didier Pironi
and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud
. Also entered in 1978 was the updated Renault Alpine A443 model; essentially an A442 chassis, but powered by a new 2138 cc engine. Following this all-French victory in the premier French motorsport event, Renault withdrew from sports car racing to concentrate their efforts in Formula One
.
powerplant boasted a large Garrett
turbocharger
, pushing power output to 490 bhp. Over the next three years this would increase to well over 500 bhp, with the A443's 2.2L unit developing 520 bhp.
In common with the earlier cars, the engine was suspended inside a relatively small steel spaceframe chassis, which was then clothed in a much longer glassfibre
body. The extra length of the body was mostly to be found in the tail section, to improve high-speed aerodynamic efficiency, and hence top speed on the long Mulsanne
straight at Circuit de la Sarthe
. The bodywork was a conventional open two-seater arrangement. Designed as a "hare", to stretch their Porsche 936
rivals to breaking point, the A443 also incorporated a slightly longer wheelbase. Following wind tunnel
testing during the autumn and winter of 1977, the A442B and A443 were introduced in 1978 each sporting an acrylic glass
"bubble" partial roof, resulting in an additional 8 km/h (5 mph) in top speed at la Sarthe, but reducing visibility from the driving seat. However, during practice for the 1978 Le Mans race
, A443 drivers Patrick Depailler
and Jean-Pierre Jabouille
complained that the bubble made them feel claustrophobic and trapped engine heat inside the cockpit, making driving conditions intolerable. Therefore, only the A442B ever competed with the bubble in place.
By 1978, Gérard Larrousse
had moved up from works driver to manage the Renault Sport team. He laid out the team's priorities: win at Le Mans, then focus all attention on repeating the success in Formula One. Renault ploughed a huge budget into developing the A442 into a Le Mans winner. Many hours were spent in testing, particularly using long airport runway
s to simulate the mechanical and aerodynamic stresses induced on the long, fast Mulsanne straight. In addition, Renault's engine department went to work on squeezing as much power out of the five year old powerplant as was possible. Capacity was upped to 2138 cc, just short of the theoretical 2142 cc limit for turbocharged cars, and this revamped engine was installed into the new, lengthened chassis, becoming the A443.
In full qualifying trim, with the bubble roof, the A443 achieved a top speed of 236 mph (380 km/h) on the Mulsanne straight, making it the fastest car ever produced by Renault, a record which still stands today and includes all of Renault's F1 entries.
300 km two Renaults qualified in the front row, only to crash out in the second corner. However, subsequent repeated mechanical failures meant that going into the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans
, over a year later, the team had failed to win another race. That run of form was not to change, and the single car entered dropped out with engine failure before half of the 24 hours had elapsed.
For the Renault management, success at Le Mans was a huge prestige issue. For the 1977 race
the Renault Sport
works team fielded three cars, drafted in endurance specialist Derek Bell
, and were supported by an additional, privately entered A442. In the intervening period between the two Le Mans starts, the Renault Alpines had taken second and third places in the 500 km ACF race at Dijon-Prenois
, as well as second place at the high-speed 4h Monza
round. Expectation and publicity levels were high. It was therefore something of an embarrassment when not one of the four cars reached the finishing flag. Renault's yellow and black liveried squad did not compare favourably with the white Martini Racing
Porsche 936
and Porsche 935
. In both World Championship series of 1976, these reliable, fast cars scored repeated wins.
At the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans
, their huge development program paid off. Once again, the works team entered three cars: an old A442, renamed A442A; the bubble-canopied A442B; and the A443. A second A442A was entered by Ecurie Calberson. The work carried out since the 1977 race meant that, for once, Renault was on a par with the dominant Porsche 936 turbo cars, which had been improved, and the two manufacturers shared the first four rows of the grid equally. The Porsche 935
/78 Moby Dick, which due to its aerodynamic layout and 800 horsepower achieved over 360 km/h on the straight, qualified third, behind the new 936 and the A443.
From the start, the A443 was the class of the field, lapping in under 3 minutes 40 seconds, while the Porsches had planned to do only 3:40 to 3:50. Jabouille took fastest lap at 3:34, which was six seconds slower than in qualifying, before the A443's engine finally broke in the 18th hour. This was the second Renault retirement, after the Bell/Jarier A442A works car had suffered transmission failure at the half-way point. However, fortunately for Renault, Pironi and Jaussaud in the A442B were well placed to inherit the lead. Two 936s had technical problems, the third crashed at 11 am. The pairing held on to the lead for the final few hours, finishing four laps ahead of the second-placed Porsche. The privateer A442A also finished well, taking fourth place behind the two remaining 936s. After the final flag Pironi was too exhausted to climb up to the podium, where Jaussaud took the trophy alone.
Sports prototype
A sports prototype, also referred to as simply a prototype, is a form of racing car that is used as a top category in sports car racing. These purpose-built racing cars differ from street-legal and production-based racing cars that also compete in sports car racing.Prototype racing cars have...
racing car, designed and built by Alpine
Alpine (car)
Alpine was a French manufacturer of racing and sports cars that used rear-mounted Renault engines.Jean Rédélé , the founder of Alpine, was originally a Dieppe garage proprietor, who began to achieve considerable competition success in one of the few French cars produced just after World War...
, but funded and powered by Alpine's owners Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
, specifically to contest the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
race. Variants were entered for the event in 1976
1976 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 44th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 12 and 13 1976.-Race:The regulations for Le Mans were changed again, with the fuel limitations removed and Group 5 cars were allowed to compete with Group 6 cars. Porsche entered two 936s and one 935, while...
, 1977
1977 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 45th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 11 and 12 1977.-Race:The Porsche 936 turbo won again in 1977 against the Renault and Mirage Renault, with extraordinary driving efforts by Jacky Ickx...
and 1978
1978 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 46th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 10 and 11 1978.-Race:In 1978, the Renault V6 turbo, which had lost in 1976 and 1977 to the Porsche 936, finally managed to beat the German cars. Each company had brought no less than four cars, which after...
. An A442B finally won the race on the third occasion, in the hands of Didier Pironi
Didier Pironi
Didier Joseph Louis Pironi was a racing driver from France. During his career he competed in 72 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, driving for Tyrrell , Ligier and Ferrari...
and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud
Jean-Pierre Jaussaud
Jean-Pierre Jaussaud is a French former racing driver, more famous for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1978 and 1980....
. Also entered in 1978 was the updated Renault Alpine A443 model; essentially an A442 chassis, but powered by a new 2138 cc engine. Following this all-French victory in the premier French motorsport event, Renault withdrew from sports car racing to concentrate their efforts in Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
.
Design
Alpine had been working with increasingly close ties to Renault since 1971, and by the beginning of the A442 project in 1975 the two companies were almost completely merged. Renault finally bought Alpine outright in early 1976, Renault inheriting Alpine's sports prototype program. The A442 was a direct evolution of the successful Alpine A440 and title-winning A441 models. However, unlike the previous cars, the A442's 2.0L Renault-GordiniGordini
Gordini is a French sports car manufacturer. The firm was founded by Amédée Gordini nicknamed "Le Sorcier" .Gordini competed in Formula One from 1950 to 1956....
powerplant boasted a large Garrett
Garrett AiResearch
Garrett AiResearch was a manufacturer of turboprop engines and turbochargers, and a pioneer in numerous aerospace technologies. It was previously known as Aircraft Tool and Supply Company, Garrett Supply Company, AiResearch Manufacturing Company, or simply AiResearch...
turbocharger
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
, pushing power output to 490 bhp. Over the next three years this would increase to well over 500 bhp, with the A443's 2.2L unit developing 520 bhp.
In common with the earlier cars, the engine was suspended inside a relatively small steel spaceframe chassis, which was then clothed in a much longer glassfibre
Glass-reinforced plastic
Fiberglass , is a fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers of glass. It is also known as GFK ....
body. The extra length of the body was mostly to be found in the tail section, to improve high-speed aerodynamic efficiency, and hence top speed on the long Mulsanne
Mulsanne
Mulsanne is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.-Motor racing:The Circuit de la Sarthe, which is used in the sports car endurance race 24 Hours of Le Mans, features the long straight Ligne Droite des Hunaudières leading to Mulsanne, making a...
straight at Circuit de la Sarthe
Circuit de la Sarthe
The Circuit des 24 Heures, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe, located near Le Mans, France, is a semi-permanent race course most famous as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race. The track uses local roads that remain open to the public most of the year...
. The bodywork was a conventional open two-seater arrangement. Designed as a "hare", to stretch their Porsche 936
Porsche 936
The Porsche 936 was a racing car introduced in 1976 by Porsche as a delayed successor to the Porsche 908, a three litre sportscar prototype which was retired by the factory after 1971...
rivals to breaking point, the A443 also incorporated a slightly longer wheelbase. Following wind tunnel
Wind tunnel
A wind tunnel is a research tool used in aerodynamic research to study the effects of air moving past solid objects.-Theory of operation:Wind tunnels were first proposed as a means of studying vehicles in free flight...
testing during the autumn and winter of 1977, the A442B and A443 were introduced in 1978 each sporting an acrylic glass
Acrylic glass
Poly is a transparent thermoplastic, often used as a light or shatter-resistant alternative to glass. It is sometimes called acrylic glass. Chemically, it is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate...
"bubble" partial roof, resulting in an additional 8 km/h (5 mph) in top speed at la Sarthe, but reducing visibility from the driving seat. However, during practice for the 1978 Le Mans race
1978 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 46th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 10 and 11 1978.-Race:In 1978, the Renault V6 turbo, which had lost in 1976 and 1977 to the Porsche 936, finally managed to beat the German cars. Each company had brought no less than four cars, which after...
, A443 drivers Patrick Depailler
Patrick Depailler
Patrick André Eugène Joseph Depailler was a racing driver from France. He participated in 95 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 2 July 1972. He also participated in several non-Championship Formula One races.Depailler was born in Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme. As a child, he...
and Jean-Pierre Jabouille
Jean-Pierre Jabouille
Jean-Pierre Alain Jabouille is a former racing driver from France.-Biography:A native of Paris, Jabouille was one of the last of a breed of Formula One drivers who were also engineers....
complained that the bubble made them feel claustrophobic and trapped engine heat inside the cockpit, making driving conditions intolerable. Therefore, only the A442B ever competed with the bubble in place.
By 1978, Gérard Larrousse
Gérard Larrousse
Gérard Larrousse is a former sports car racing, rallying and Formula One driver from France.He participated in two Grands Prix, debuting on 12 May 1974, scoring no championship points. He drove Brabham BT42s for Scuderia Finotto....
had moved up from works driver to manage the Renault Sport team. He laid out the team's priorities: win at Le Mans, then focus all attention on repeating the success in Formula One. Renault ploughed a huge budget into developing the A442 into a Le Mans winner. Many hours were spent in testing, particularly using long airport runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s to simulate the mechanical and aerodynamic stresses induced on the long, fast Mulsanne straight. In addition, Renault's engine department went to work on squeezing as much power out of the five year old powerplant as was possible. Capacity was upped to 2138 cc, just short of the theoretical 2142 cc limit for turbocharged cars, and this revamped engine was installed into the new, lengthened chassis, becoming the A443.
In full qualifying trim, with the bubble roof, the A443 achieved a top speed of 236 mph (380 km/h) on the Mulsanne straight, making it the fastest car ever produced by Renault, a record which still stands today and includes all of Renault's F1 entries.
Race history
The A442 made its competition debut in March 1975, at the Mugello 1000 km, with Jabouille and Larrousse. Despite the relatively underdeveloped turbo addition to the Renault engine, the car lasted long enough for the team to take a surprise win in its very first race. In the NürburgringNürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
300 km two Renaults qualified in the front row, only to crash out in the second corner. However, subsequent repeated mechanical failures meant that going into the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans
1976 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 44th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 12 and 13 1976.-Race:The regulations for Le Mans were changed again, with the fuel limitations removed and Group 5 cars were allowed to compete with Group 6 cars. Porsche entered two 936s and one 935, while...
, over a year later, the team had failed to win another race. That run of form was not to change, and the single car entered dropped out with engine failure before half of the 24 hours had elapsed.
For the Renault management, success at Le Mans was a huge prestige issue. For the 1977 race
1977 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 45th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 11 and 12 1977.-Race:The Porsche 936 turbo won again in 1977 against the Renault and Mirage Renault, with extraordinary driving efforts by Jacky Ickx...
the Renault Sport
Renault Sport
Renault Sport Technologies is the France motorsport division of Renault. Renault Sport was responsible for Renault's sports car racing entries during the 1970s, including their win at the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans race with the Renault Alpine A442.Actual Renault's Formula One team, Renault F1 in...
works team fielded three cars, drafted in endurance specialist Derek Bell
Derek Bell (auto racer)
Derek Reginald Bell MBE is a former racing driver from England who was extremely successful in sportscar racing, winning five times at Le Mans. He also raced in Formula One for the Ferrari, McLaren, Surtees and Tecno teams...
, and were supported by an additional, privately entered A442. In the intervening period between the two Le Mans starts, the Renault Alpines had taken second and third places in the 500 km ACF race at Dijon-Prenois
Dijon-Prenois
Dijon-Prenois is a motor racing circuit located in Prenois, near Dijon, France. The undulating track is noted for its fast, sweeping bends....
, as well as second place at the high-speed 4h Monza
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit's biggest event is the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which has been hosted there since the sport's inception....
round. Expectation and publicity levels were high. It was therefore something of an embarrassment when not one of the four cars reached the finishing flag. Renault's yellow and black liveried squad did not compare favourably with the white Martini Racing
Martini Racing
Martini Racing is the name under which various motor racing teams raced when sponsored by the Martini & Rossi distillery that produces Martini vermouth. Martini's sponsorship program began in 1968...
Porsche 936
Porsche 936
The Porsche 936 was a racing car introduced in 1976 by Porsche as a delayed successor to the Porsche 908, a three litre sportscar prototype which was retired by the factory after 1971...
and Porsche 935
Porsche 935
The Porsche 935 was introduced in 1976, as the factory racing version of the Porsche 911 turbo prepared for FIA-Group 5 rules. It was an evolution of the Porsche Carrera RSR 2.1 turbo prototype which had scored 2nd overall in the 1974 24 Hours of Le Mans....
. In both World Championship series of 1976, these reliable, fast cars scored repeated wins.
1978 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 46th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 10 and 11 1978.-Race:In 1978, the Renault V6 turbo, which had lost in 1976 and 1977 to the Porsche 936, finally managed to beat the German cars. Each company had brought no less than four cars, which after...
, their huge development program paid off. Once again, the works team entered three cars: an old A442, renamed A442A; the bubble-canopied A442B; and the A443. A second A442A was entered by Ecurie Calberson. The work carried out since the 1977 race meant that, for once, Renault was on a par with the dominant Porsche 936 turbo cars, which had been improved, and the two manufacturers shared the first four rows of the grid equally. The Porsche 935
Porsche 935
The Porsche 935 was introduced in 1976, as the factory racing version of the Porsche 911 turbo prepared for FIA-Group 5 rules. It was an evolution of the Porsche Carrera RSR 2.1 turbo prototype which had scored 2nd overall in the 1974 24 Hours of Le Mans....
/78 Moby Dick, which due to its aerodynamic layout and 800 horsepower achieved over 360 km/h on the straight, qualified third, behind the new 936 and the A443.
From the start, the A443 was the class of the field, lapping in under 3 minutes 40 seconds, while the Porsches had planned to do only 3:40 to 3:50. Jabouille took fastest lap at 3:34, which was six seconds slower than in qualifying, before the A443's engine finally broke in the 18th hour. This was the second Renault retirement, after the Bell/Jarier A442A works car had suffered transmission failure at the half-way point. However, fortunately for Renault, Pironi and Jaussaud in the A442B were well placed to inherit the lead. Two 936s had technical problems, the third crashed at 11 am. The pairing held on to the lead for the final few hours, finishing four laps ahead of the second-placed Porsche. The privateer A442A also finished well, taking fourth place behind the two remaining 936s. After the final flag Pironi was too exhausted to climb up to the podium, where Jaussaud took the trophy alone.