Renault Formula 1 Team

Location: Viry-Châtillon, France then Enstone, England,
Years in F1: 1977 - 1985, 2002 - 2009, 2016 - 2020
Team championships: 2006, 2005
Drivers Championships: 2006, 2005
Grand Prix victories: 35
Races started: 400
Pole positions: 51

Renault team history

Renault entered F1 in 1977 as the pioneer of the turbo engine. Whilst the team did have some success, it never quite got to the top. After leaving F1 as a constructor, Renault continued to build successful engines, notably for Williams. They re-entered F1 as a constructor in 2002 when they took over the Benetton team. Success can in the 2005 season when they won both the constructors and drivers championship and this was repeat by Fernando Alonso in 2006. For 2007 Fernando Alonso moved to McLaren and Heikki Kovalainen was promoted from test driver. After a difficult season with McLaren in 2007, Fernando Alonso moved back to Renault and although the car was not as competitive as in previous years he did manage some race wins in the latter part of the season. Scandal hit the team in 2009 after allegations were made that at Singapore in 2008 Nelson Piquet Jr was told to crash to help Fernando Alonso win the race, leading to the resignation of Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds who had been with the team since they were Benetton. At the end of 2010 Renault sold their remaining interest in the team which became Lotus Renault for 2011. Limited financial investment in 2015 led to problems in performance and the team was re-purchased by Renault again for 2016 as a works team with a works engine.

Key personnel: Alan Permane, James Allison, Mike Gascoyne, Pat Symonds

2020

Position: 5
Points: 181
Race wins: 0
Daniel Ricciardo 5th 119 points
Esteban Ocon 12th 62 points
Renault had a tight 3 way battle with McLaren and Racing Point but ended up fifth despite some good results from Daniel Ricciardo including two podium finishes.

2019

Position: 5
Points: 91
Race wins: 0
Daniel Ricciardo 9th 54 points
Nico Hulkenberg 14th 37 points
The start of the season was less successful leading to the team finishing 5th in the constructors championship.

2018

Position: 4
Points: 122
Race wins: 0
Nico Hulkenberg 7th 69 points
Carlos Sainz Jr 10th 53 points
This was the best season for the team in its third stint in F1. Both drivers were consistently scoring points but failed to finish on the podium in any race.

2017

Position: 4
Points: 122
Race wins: 0
Nico Hulkenberg 10th 43 points
Jolyon Palmer 18th 8 point
This season was an improvement as the scored points in about half the races.

2016

Position: 9
Points: 8
Race wins: 0
Kevin Magnussen 16th 7 points
Jolyon Palmer 18th 1 point
The first season back in F1 saw the team mainly running towards the back of the mid-field and only scored points in three races.

2011

Position: 5
Points: 73
Race wins: 0
Nick Heidfeld 11th 34 points
Vitaly Petrov 10th 37 points
Bruno Senna 18th 2 points
This was a more inconsistent season, with only two 3rd places early in the season. At the end of the season the team became Lotus F1 Team.

2010

Position: 5
Points: 163
Race wins: 0
Robert Kubica 8th 136 points
Vitaly Petrov 13th 27 points
Following a change in ownership the team had two new drivers with Robert Kubica consistently scoring points throughout the season.

2009

Position: 8
Points: 26
Race wins: 0
Fernando Alonso 9th 26 points
Nelson Piquet Jr 21st 0 points
Romain Grosjean 23rd 0 points
This was a difficult season with the best result being a 3rd place from Fernando Alonso.

2008

Position: 4
Points: 80
Race wins: 2
Fernando Alonso 5th 61 points
Nelson Piquet Jr 12th 19 points
The team had better results in the second half of the season but the season was marred by Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashing in the Singapore GP to help Fernando Alonso win the race.

2007

Position: 3
Points: 51
Race wins: 0
Giancarlo Fisichella 8th 21 points
Heikki Kovalainen 7th 30 points
Romain Grosjean 23rd 0 points
This was a less successful but consistent season with only one podium finish but still managed 3rd in the constructors championship.

2006

Position: 1
Points: 206
Race wins: 8
Fernando Alonso 1st 134 points
Giancarlo Fisichella 4th 72 points
This was Renault's second constructors championship and also Fernando Alonso's second drivers championship. Again Alonso finished on the podium in all but four of the races.

2005

Position: 1
Points: 191
Race wins: 8
Fernando Alonso 1st 133 points
Giancarlo Fisichella 5th 58 points
This season was Renault's first constructors championship and also Fernando Alonso's first drivers championship. Alonso finished on the podium in all but three of the races.

2004

Position: 3
Points: 105
Race wins: 1
Fernando Alonso 4th 59 points
Jarno Trulli 6th 46 points
This was another good season with both drivers consistently in the points

2003

Position: 4
Points: 88
Race wins: 1
Fernando Alonso 6th 55 points
Jarno Trulli 8th 33 points
Fernando Alonso joined the team and had a good first season with one race win and three other podium finishes.

2002

Position: 4
Points: 23
Race wins: 0
Jenson Button 7th 14 points
Jarno Trulli 8th 9 points
Jenson Button outscored his team mate but was dropped at the end of the season.

1985

Position: 7
Points: 16
Race wins: 0
Patrick Tambay 12th 11 points
Derek Warwick 14th 5 points
Patrick Tambay had two 3rd place finishes at the start of the season but the team struggled as the season progress. Renault pulled out of being a constructor at the end of the season.

1984

Position: 5
Points: 34
Race wins: 0
Derek Warwick 7th 23 points
Patrick Tambay 11th 11 points
Alain Prost left the team after complaining of a lack of development and the team was less successful, although it did achieve 5 podium finishes.

1983

Position: 2
Points: 79
Race wins: 4
Alain Prost 2nd 57 points
Eddie Cheever 7th 22 points
This was the teams best season in its first time as a constructor ending 2nd in the constructors championship and Alain Prost 2nd in the drivers championship thanks to four race wins.

1982

Position: 3
Points: 62
Race wins: 4
Alain Prost 4th 34 points
Rene Arnoux 6th 28 points
This season had a similar selection of results to the previous season.

1981

Position: 3
Points: 54
Race wins: 3
Alain Prost 5th 43 points
Rene Arnoux 9th 11 points
This season where the cars finished races it was scoring good points taking the them to 3rd in the constructors championship.

1980

Position: 4
Points: 38
Race wins: 3
Rene Arnoux 6th 29 points
Jean-Pierre Jabouille 8th 9 points
Jean-Pierre Jabouille only finished 2 races, but won one of those two races. Rene Arnoux had a more consistent season taking the team to 4th in the constructors championship.

1979

Position: 6
Points: 26
Race wins: 1
Rene Arnoux 8th 17 points
Jean-Pierre Jabouille 13th 9 points
Reliability continued to be a problem but Jean-Pierre Jabouille won in France, the first F1 race win for a turbo engined car.

1978

Position: 12
Points: 3
Race wins: 0
Jean-Pierre Jabouille 17th 3 points
The car continued this season to be unreliable but they did have one good race finishing 4th at Watkins Glen

1977

Position: NC
Points: 0
Race wins: 0
Jean-Pierre Jabouille NC 0 points
The turbo engine was unreliable and the car failed to finish any races.