1977 British GP: Renault’s F1 debut
Jean-Pierre Jabouille’s Renault RS01 undergoes a tyre change and checks.
Picture by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Photographs
Renault made its world championship debut with F1’s first-ever turbocharged automotive, the RS01, which earned the ‘yellow teapot’ moniker as a result of frequency at which smoke emanated from it.
The only Renault entry at Silverstone was additionally the one one utilizing Michelin tyres, with the rest of the sphere on Goodyears.
In a 36-strong subject, Jean-Pierre Jabouille certified 21th, 1.62s off pole place, however endured a cracked inlet manifold on lap 12 and pitted for repairs, earlier than the turbo failed after 16 laps.
1979 French GP: Affected person Jabouille takes Renault’s first victory
Jean-Pierre Jabouille, Renault RS10
Picture by: Motorsport Photographs
Jabouille had his justifiable share of hardship in Renault’s early days, with 17 retirements within the model’s first 24 race begins.
However he went on to win the French Grand Prix at Dijon-Prenois, taking Renault’s and his personal maiden victory after surpassing early race chief Gilles Villeneuve, in a race that has been extra well-known for the Canadian’s breathtaking, wheel-to-wheel battle with Renault’s Rene Arnoux for second place.
1983: Prost narrowly misses out on world title
Alain Prost, Renault RE40 V6
Picture by: Motorsport Photographs
Wins grew to become increasingly more frequent for Renault, with Alain Prost prevailing at Le Castellet, Spa-Francorchamps, Silverstone and the Oesterreichring (now referred to as the Crimson Bull Ring) in 1983, at which level he led the championship by 14 factors – with a victory value 9.
Prost nonetheless retired from three of the final 4 grands prix, twice with turbo points, dropping the title to Piquet by two factors.
1985 Portuguese GP: Senna takes sensational win as Renault prepares first F1 exit
Ayrton Senna, Lotus 97T-Renault celebrates 1st place with Group Supervisor Peter Warr in parc ferme, portrait
Picture by: Motorsport Photographs
From 1983 to 1986, Renault additionally equipped its F1 engines to prospects – first Lotus, then Ligier too, with Tyrrell ultimately taking the French powertrains as properly.
Lotus had gained only one grand prix since Mario Andretti’s title-winning marketing campaign in 1978, however Ayrton Senna gave the famed group its first triumph since Colin Chapman’s demise as he dominated a moist Estoril race, profitable the Portuguese Grand Prix by a couple of minute.
Renault left F1 as a constructor on the finish of the 1985, however nonetheless supplied powertrains to all three of its prospects in 1986.
1989: Renault returns to F1 as engine provider
Thierry Boutsen, Williams FW12C Renault
Picture by: Motorsport Photographs
Renault returned to Method 1 as Williams’ engine provider, switching from its earlier V6 turbo powertrain to a usually aspirated V10.
Each Thierry Boutsen and Riccardo Patrese retired with technical points within the season-opening race at Jacarepagua, however Boutsen took two victories that 12 months. Each drivers shared one other two wins in 1990, then Nigel Mansell changed the Belgian to grow to be Ayrton Senna’s primary challenger; driving Adrian Newey’s FW14, he took 5 wins and three second positions in 1991.
1992: Mansell wins Renault’s first title
Podium: second place Nigel Mansell, Williams Renault, celebrates his world championship victory
Picture by: Motorsport Photographs
Renault added Ligier to its portfolio of groups in 1992, however Williams set the tone with Mansell-Patrese 1-2s within the opening three grands prix; the Englishman gained the primary 5 races of the season and was topped a world champion as early because the Hungarian Grand Prix, in mid-August.
1993: Prost takes historic fourth crown
Alain Prost, Williams celebrates his fourth World Championship success
Picture by: Sutton Photographs
Williams’ dominance continued in 1993, with Mansell changed by Alain Prost.
The Frenchman comfortably noticed his rivals off, profitable seven of the primary 10 grands prix to attain extra factors than anyone would by the top of the 12 months. Stalling in Hungary and an engine failure at Monza meant he wasn’t formally topped till Estoril, in late September.
1994: Hill loses title to Schumacher after Senna’s demise
Damon Hill, Williams FW16B Renault
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Prost retired on the finish of the 1993 season, paving the best way for Ayrton Senna to hitch Williams from a struggling McLaren outfit, however the Brazilian legend died in a crash on the San Marino Grand Prix.
Inexperienced Damon Hill inherited the group chief standing in a dominant however tough FW16, and misplaced the title in a controversial collision with championship rival Michael Schumacher at Adelaide – the place returnee Mansell gained. Williams-Renault nonetheless took the honours within the constructors’ championship.
1995: Schumacher takes second title in a row with Benetton
Michael Schumacher, Benetton
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Benetton switched from Ford-Cosworth to Renault engines for 1995, which means the French model powered the quickest two vehicles that 12 months. Benetton and Williams gained 16 of the 17 grands prix, with Ferrari’s Jean Alesi taking his solely F1 victory on his birthday in Montreal, after a late gearbox concern for Schumacher.
The German nonetheless gained the title pretty simply, profitable greater than half the races himself.
1996 French GP: Renault’s historic 1-2-3-4
Damon Hill, Williams leads firstly
Picture by: Getty Photographs
The Renault powered-teams’ dominance, although Benetton was on a downward slope, culminated on the 1996 French Grand Prix. Williams took a 1-2 with Hill main rookie Jacques Villeneuve, adopted by Benetton’s Alesi and Gerhard Berger for a 1-2-3-4.
Williams returned to championship glory as Damon Hill clinched the drivers’ title whereas the group gained 12 of 16 races.
1997: Villeneuve wins title in controversy, Renault exits F1 once more
Jacques Villeneuve, Williams FW19
Picture by: Motorsport Photographs
Williams’ last Newey-designed automotive wasn’t as dominant as its predecessor, and Ferrari was on the rise after Jean Todt put collectively a dream group, so the 1997 was a intently contested duel between Villeneuve and Schumacher. The Canadian got here out on prime within the final race, at Jerez, the place Schumacher drove into the Williams in a failed try to take it out of the race.
As early as June 1996, Renault determined to go away F1 on the finish of the 1997 season, with its fixed profitable which means diminishing advertising returns. Its powertrain remained used beneath the Mecachrome (Williams in 1998), Supertec (Williams and BAR in 1999, Arrows in 2000) and Playlife (Benetton from 1998 to 2000) monikers. The outdated engine nonetheless took one pole and 12 podiums in three years.
2002: Renault returns as fully-fledged constructor
Jenson Button, Renault R202 with group mate Jarno Trulli
Picture by: Motorsport Photographs
Renault bought the Benetton outfit in March 2000, gave the group its new V10 engine for 2001 and rebranded it as Renault from 2002 onwards. Its first grand prix again, in Melbourne, resulted in a double retirement as Jenson Button was caught up within the first-lap mayhem whereas Jarno Trulli crashed out a number of laps later.
Renault claimed fourth within the championship however scored simply 23 factors and didn’t report a single podium end.
2003 Hungarian GP: Alonso brings Renault again on prime
Fernando Alonso, Renault
Picture by: Rainer Schlegelmilch / Getty Photographs
Renault was on the rise in 2003. Fernando Alonso and Trulli locked out the entrance row in Malaysia, then the younger Spaniard gained the Hungarian Grand Prix from pole place as Jaguar’s Mark Webber, who snatched second place firstly, backed the pack up behind him.
By the point Kimi Raikkonen cleared Webber, he was already greater than 20 seconds down on Alonso, who led the Finn by 17 seconds beneath the chequered flag and even lapped five-time world champion Schumacher.
2005: Alonso turns into F1’s youngest world champion
World Champion Fernando Alonso, Renault
Picture by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Photographs
Renault took one other victory with Jarno Trulli within the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix earlier than turning into an actual title contender with its R25.
Kimi Raikkonen’s McLaren MP4-20 was quicker however lacked reliability, paving the best way for Alonso to clinch the title at Interlagos earlier than the French model was topped world constructors’ champion within the Shanghai season finale.
2006: Alonso beats Schumacher to world title in fascinating duel
Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher
Picture by: Sutton Photographs
Ferrari returned to success in 2006, in a intently contested season the place Schumacher ate into Alonso’s early lead as Renault step by step misplaced competitiveness – partly on account of mass dampers being outlawed by the FIA.
The 2 title contenders tackled the penultimate spherical of the season degree on factors at Suzuka, the place Schumacher led his rival till his engine failed, giving Alonso a 10-point lead. Even when the seven-time world champion gained in Brazil, all of the Spaniard needed to do was rating some extent; Alonso completed second at Interlagos, Schumacher fourth after a puncture.
Renault gained the constructors’ title by simply 5 factors towards Ferrari.
2008 Singapore GP: Alonso wins, however Crashgate results in Renault’s shame
Nelson Piquet Jr., Renault F1 Group R28 crashes into the wall
Picture by: Sutton Photographs
F1’s transfer to new technical guidelines and a single tyre provider, Bridgestone, didn’t pan out fantastically for Renault, which had been utilizing Michelin rubber. 2007 yielded a single podium end, courtesy of Heikki Kovalainen, earlier than Alonso returned to the fold alongside Nelson Piquet Jr after curbing his McLaren expertise.
Renault lay fifth within the standings earlier than the Singapore Grand Prix, on equal factors with fourth-placed Toyota, and had excessive hopes for the Marina Bay race, however a technical concern prevented Alonso from setting a time in Q2, leaving him down in fifteenth.
Group principal Flavio Briatore and chief engineer Pat Symonds got here up with a plan: Alonso pitted on lap 12 and his team-mate Piquet crashed on lap 14, bringing out the security automotive.
Again in 2008, when a race was neutralised, the pitlane remained closed till all vehicles have been gathered behind the security automotive. Due to this fact, Alonso discovered himself within the lead when everybody pitted, and gained the race. The conspiracy solely emerged one 12 months later, resulting in Renault rapidly withdrawing in shame.
2010-2013: Vettel and Crimson Bull take Renault’s final title-winning honours
Sebastian Vettel, Crimson Bull RB9 Renault celebrates victory with donuts
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photographs
Crimson Bull received Renault engines from 2008 onwards, with these powertrains additionally utilized by Lotus/Caterham from 2011 and Williams from 2012.
Crimson Bull conquered F1 throughout these 4 years, with Vettel profitable 4 consecutive titles – two of which, 2010 and 2012, have been shut calls. Renault powered-cars took 44 wins (41 by Crimson Bull, two by the Enstone-based Lotus and one by Williams) in 77 grands prix.
2014: Renault struggles amid change to hybrid energy items
Pastor Maldonado, Lotus
F1 switched to hybrid V6 turbo powertrains for 2014. All engine producers struggled with reliability, however Mercedes was dominant whereas Renault struggled.
The French model nonetheless took all three non-Mercedes grand prix wins as Daniel Ricciardo gained in Canada, Hungary and Belgium for Crimson Bull, however Toro Rosso, Lotus and Caterham not often troubled the points-scoring positions.
2016: Renault returns as constructor
Kevin Magnussen, Renault Sport F1 Group RS16
Picture by: Sutton Photographs
Renault returned to F1 once more in 2016, aiming at podiums by 2018 and a title problem by 2020.
The 2016 marketing campaign yielded simply eight factors. Issues received higher within the subsequent few years, with one podium in 2019 and some extra in 2020 – removed from the preliminary purpose.
In the meantime, Caterham folded, and Crimson Bull and Toro Rosso defected to Honda, whereas McLaren switched to Renault after a bruising expertise with the Japanese producer – and shortly was extra aggressive than the manufacturing facility group.
2021 Hungarian GP: Ocon offers Renault its final victory
Race winner Esteban Ocon, Alpine A521
Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photographs
In 2021, the Renault outfit morphed into the Alpine model, which belongs to the French carmaker, with no different vehicles powered by Renault engines.
Shortly earlier than Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi launched his ill-advised 100-race plan to succeed in the highest of F1 (this was 98 grands prix in the past, and Alpine simply completed final in 2025 the constructors’ championship), Esteban Ocon gained a memorable Hungarian Grand Prix. The Frenchman made probably the most of a first-corner pile-up to impeccably lead all through, benefitting from team-mate Fernando Alonso’s hard-fought resistance towards a resurgent Lewis Hamilton.
2025: Renault forgoes its legacy
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Picture by: Mark Sutton / Method 1 by way of Getty Photographs
Regardless of backlash from the Viry-Chatillon manufacturing facility, Renault CEO Luca de Meo (who has since left the corporate) made the choice to modify to Mercedes energy for 2026, unceremoniously ending an almost five-decade-old story in poor style – as a transparent backmarker with among the group’s worst outcomes ever.
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