Renault RE30
Encyclopedia
The Renault RE30 was a Formula One
car designed by Michel Tétu and Gérard Larrousse
for use by the Renault
team in the 1981 Formula One season
. It was an entirely different design from its predecessor, the RE20
. It incorporated carbon fibre into parts of its construction, a material which was becoming more and more commonplace in F1 at the time. The turbocharged engine was developed further and produced around 540bhp, with twin KKK turbochargers. Renault was joined by Ferrari
in developing turbo engines for their cars, with the Ferrari 126 C
. The car had advanced ground effect
technology, with concessions given to the new rules which banned sliding skirts.
Renault replaced Jean-Pierre Jabouille
with promising young Alain Prost
to partner René Arnoux
for the season. After a slow start to the year, in which Prost gained only one podium finish, he broke his duck with a win at the French Grand Prix
in changeable weather, and followed up with wins at Zandvoort
and Monza
, which gave him an outside chance at the world championship. Unreliability cost him his chance, but he finished a respectable fourth in the final standings. Arnoux had a very unlucky season and bore the brunt of most of the mechanical trouble that affected the RE30's development, most of which was done by Prost. The RE30 didn't suit Arnoux's aggressive driving style as opposed to Prost's smooth driving style which may have caused some of the problems with his car.
and South Africa
to underline his intention to win the championship that season. However, those would be his only victories of the year, as Ferrari, Williams
and McLaren overtook Renault in the technology race. The RE30B was a formidable qualifying car, with Prost or Arnoux on pole for the majority of the races, but reliability was suspect for both drivers, mostly due to problems with the new electronic fuel injection which failed repeatedly during the races proper. Arnoux took two wins during the latter half of the year, but only finished four races during the whole season. Prost was in sight of victory at Monaco
, Austria
and Dijon
but had problems during the final laps of all three races. He eventually salvaged fourth in the championship, whilst Renault finished third in the constructors' championship.
was available. Eddie Cheever
drove the RE30C for 2 races and team leader Prost drove the RE30C for one race.
With seven wins and sixteen pole positions, the RE30 was Renault's most successful car until Fernando Alonso
's world championships of and .
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...
car designed by Michel Tétu and 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....
for use by the Renault
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
team in the 1981 Formula One season
1981 Formula One season
The 1981 Formula One season included the 32nd FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on March 15, 1981, and ended on October 17 after fifteen races. Nelson Piquet won the Drivers' Championship, claiming the first of his three Formula One titles...
. It was an entirely different design from its predecessor, the RE20
Renault RE20
The Renault RE20 was a Formula One car raced by the Renault team in the 1980 Formula One season. A modified version of the car, the RE20B, raced in first part of the 1981 Formula One season. Drivers were Jabouille, Arnoux and Prost....
. It incorporated carbon fibre into parts of its construction, a material which was becoming more and more commonplace in F1 at the time. The turbocharged engine was developed further and produced around 540bhp, with twin KKK turbochargers. Renault was joined by Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
in developing turbo engines for their cars, with the Ferrari 126 C
Ferrari 126 C
The Ferrari 126C was the car with which Ferrari raced in the 1981 Formula One season. The team's first attempt at a turbo engined Formula 1 car, it was designed by Mauro Forghieri and Harvey Postlethwaite and used between the 1981 and 1984 seasons....
. The car had advanced ground effect
Ground effect
As it pertains to fixed wing aircraft, "ground effect" refers to the increased lift and decreased drag that an aircraft airfoil or wing generates when an aircraft is about one wingspan's length or less over the ground...
technology, with concessions given to the new rules which banned sliding skirts.
Renault replaced 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....
with promising young Alain Prost
Alain Prost
Alain Marie Pascal Prost, OBE, Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur is a French racing driver. A four-time Formula One Drivers' Champion, Prost has won more titles than any driver except for Juan Manuel Fangio , and Michael Schumacher . From 1987 until 2001 Prost held the record for most Grand Prix...
to partner René Arnoux
René Arnoux
René Alexandre Arnoux is a retired French racing driver who is a veteran of 12 Formula One seasons...
for the season. After a slow start to the year, in which Prost gained only one podium finish, he broke his duck with a win at the French Grand Prix
1981 French Grand Prix
The 1981 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Dijon on July 5, 1981.- Classification :- Notes :*Alain Prost's first F1 victory*Race was stopped after 58 laps due to rain...
in changeable weather, and followed up with wins at Zandvoort
1981 Dutch Grand Prix
The 1981 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Zandvoort on August 30, 1981.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...
and Monza
1981 Italian Grand Prix
The 1981 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 13, 1981.- Classification :-Trivia:*John Watson had a huge accident at the Lesmo curves when he went wide coming out of the second Lesmo curve, touched the grass and spun across the track, and his carbon-fibre...
, which gave him an outside chance at the world championship. Unreliability cost him his chance, but he finished a respectable fourth in the final standings. Arnoux had a very unlucky season and bore the brunt of most of the mechanical trouble that affected the RE30's development, most of which was done by Prost. The RE30 didn't suit Arnoux's aggressive driving style as opposed to Prost's smooth driving style which may have caused some of the problems with his car.
RE30B
For 1982, the car was updated and modified with a redesigned nose section, new rear wing and kick-ups added in front of the rear wheels. The engine was further developed to give around 590bhp. Prost made a strong start to the season and won in Brazil1982 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 1982 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jacarepaguá on March 21, 1982. It was the second round of the 1982 Formula One season....
and South Africa
1982 South African Grand Prix
The 1982 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on 23 January 1982. Turbo-charged cars took the first six positions on the grid...
to underline his intention to win the championship that season. However, those would be his only victories of the year, as Ferrari, Williams
WilliamsF1
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head...
and McLaren overtook Renault in the technology race. The RE30B was a formidable qualifying car, with Prost or Arnoux on pole for the majority of the races, but reliability was suspect for both drivers, mostly due to problems with the new electronic fuel injection which failed repeatedly during the races proper. Arnoux took two wins during the latter half of the year, but only finished four races during the whole season. Prost was in sight of victory at Monaco
1982 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1982 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on May 23, 1982.This was the first race following the death of Gilles Villeneuve at the Belgian Grand Prix; consequently Ferrari entered only one driver, Didier Pironi....
, Austria
1982 Austrian Grand Prix
The 1982 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One World Championship race held on 15 August 1982 at the Österreichring in Spielberg, Styria, Austria. The race was won by Lotus' Elio de Angelis, who held off Keke Rosberg's Williams to win by just 0.050 seconds, or less than half a car length.- Report...
and Dijon
1982 Swiss Grand Prix
The 1982 Swiss Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Dijon-Prenois in France on August 29, 1982. This was the only win of the season for eventual World Champion Keke Rosberg.- Classification :-Standings after the race:...
but had problems during the final laps of all three races. He eventually salvaged fourth in the championship, whilst Renault finished third in the constructors' championship.
RE30C
The RE30 was further updated to "C" specification for the early races of the 1983 season, until the new RE40Renault RE40
The Renault RE40 is a Formula One racing car. It was designed by Michel Tétu — under the direction of Bernard Dudot, and with aerodynamics by Jean-Claude Migeot — as Renault's car for the 1983 Formula One season.-Design:...
was available. Eddie Cheever
Eddie Cheever
Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...
drove the RE30C for 2 races and team leader Prost drove the RE30C for one race.
With seven wins and sixteen pole positions, the RE30 was Renault's most successful car until Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and a two-time World Champion, who is currently racing for Ferrari....
's world championships of and .