Renault Sport F1 is the sporting division representing Renault’s interests in Formula 1 and is tasked with designing and building of highly-optimized engines that can be fully integrated into a chassis package by RSF1’s carefully selected partner teams.
For the renewal of its commitment to F1, Renault reaffirmed the extreme importance of the F1 competition to the brand. Besides being an amazing vector to international recognition, the king sport among motor sports is also a laboratory for new technologies.
Renault’s decision in 2015 to continue its involvement in Formula 1 is the confirmation that it sees motorsport as an essential part of the brand’s identity. As the pinnacle of motor sport, Formula 1 demands technological and operational excellence. The championship serves as a showcase for the technological expertise that Renault dials into its products for the benefit of its customers. Formula 1 is a means for Renault to accelerate development and remain at the forefront of the sport’s technological progress. It simultaneously allows Renault to build bridges between the advanced technologies seen in the world championship and its road cars, particularly in the fields of electric and hybrid vehicles.
The technical and historical basis of the lozenge brand is located in Viry-Châtillon, the place where engines are design, developed and tested since 1970 and where Renault team has been producing some of F1’s most successful technologies.
At the end of the 1986 season, Renault decided to focus on engine development. Perceived as an innovative brand, Renault has became the supplier of engines for several teams, including the first Lotus Team led by Ayrton Senna. Between 1989 and 1997 Renault supplied its blocks to Williams and later to Benetton, collecting several victories and six consecutive constructor prizes.
The Renault V10 is considered the best engine in the 90s and won six consecutive titles. Some others are famous too, like the V6 Turbo Renault, known to be one of the most powerful on track, and the Renault V8 that has, up to the present, five constructor titles.
A total of 250 people work on the elaboration of current and future engines, contributing to make Formula 1 a showcase for the brand’s excellence and quality.
Renault has competed in Grand Prix racing for over 35 years, and has enjoyed success in every engine formula, as both an engine supplier and a constructor.
So far, Renault has won 12 Constructors’ World Titles and 11 Drivers’ World Titles in the championship, plus more than 160 wins. It also holds the overall record of pole positions for an engine manufacturer.