Suppose that’s a sad takeoff upon an ‘Ol Bruce, the
Boss’s song, Eh?
Formula 1 mandated the use of naturally
aspirated 3.5-litre engines for the 1989 F1 season, with seven engine
manufacturers supplying their wares in various guises.
As Ferrari and Lamborghini were the only V-12
producers, while the majority of the field relied upon the Ford Cosworth DFR
V-8 unit. Although Benetton who had Ford Cosworth Werks’ status, received the
“clean sheet” design HB unit at Circuit Paul Ricard. Judd provided its V-8
lumps in both CV and EV guise. Whilst Zakspeed had a Yamaha v-8, and Honda and
Renault opted for the V-10 solution.
After a three year hiatus, Renault returned to
Formula 1 as an engine supplier to Sir Frank’s Team Willy’, aka Williams Grand
Prix Engineering. And once again pioneered another first in motor racing. As
the Williams FW12C would use the Renault RS1 V-10 that introduced today’s de
riggour pneumatic valve spring technology. Which allows valve springs being
pushed by compressed air or nitrogen to operate at higher RPM’s without the
dreaded valve “float” of traditional wire, coil valve springs past 12,000RPM’s;
if I understand this technology somewhat correctly?
Although I just heard Bobby Rahal claiming that
Toyota were running their IndyCar engines at 18,000-19,000RPM during the latter
stage of CART with normal coil valve springs on Unchained with Paul Tracy…
Williams had struggled mightily the year prior
with the underperforming and “sluggish” FW12 powered by the Judd 3.5-litre CV
V-8 normally aspirated lump’. As reportedly, the Judd engine produced 400bhp
less than the all conquering Honda 1.5-litre V-6 turbo, that McLaren almost
completed a Clean sweep season with in 1988. Ironically, with the exception of
Jean-Louis Schlesser tangling with race leader Ayrton Senna at Monza, gifting
Ferrari an unexpected 1-2 finish just a month after Enzo Ferrari’s death! With
Schlesser deputizing for Nigel Mansell at Williams; as the Brit was suffering
from chicken Pox…
The FW12C was designed to accommodate the
narrower angle, longer Renault V-10, which Riccardo Patrese would qualify
second at the season opening Brazilian Grand Prix. The Italian driver’s 176th
Grand Prix start, tying the record jointly held by Graham Hill and Jacques
Laffite. As Patrese would go onto set the Ironman mark at 256 Grands Prix,
before being bested by Rubino’, nee rubens Barrichello. For which Honda decided
that the 2008 Turkish Grand Prix was Rubino’s 257th start, with Barrichello the
first to surpass 300. And so it goes, now that Fernando Alonso has surpassed
400 Grands Prix starts, Aye Karumba!
Theirry Boutsen would give Williams Renault its
maiden victory at the rain swept Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles
Villeneuve that summer, the team’s only win of 1989.
Initially announcing His retirement at the end
of 1990, Sir Frank wooed Nigel Mansell to return to Williams for the 1991
Formula 1 season, after giving Him clear number one status in writing. While
Adrian Newy joined Williams from Leyton House March, designing what would
become the technological tour de force, the FW14B of 1992. As the B spec model
featured active suspension, semi-automatic gearshift, traction control and
anti-lock braking.
Mansell would dominate the 1992 season with a
crushing nine victories and 14 pole positions enroute to that year’s F1 Drivers
title! With Williams claiming the first of four F1 constructors Championships
with Renault engines; its fifth of nine eventual titles. While le Reggie’s V-10
engines took six Constructors titles on the trot, i.e.; 1992-97.
With thee Professor Alain Prost joining
Williams for 1993, Mansell made His shock move to IndyCar with Newman Haas
Racing, while Prost secured His fourth and final Drivers Crown with Williams Renault
that season.
We all know that Michael Schumacher effectively
turfed off Williams driver Damon Hill for the 1994 title at Adelaide, and then
repeated as F1 World champion in ’95, when Benetton had switched to Renault
V-10 engines. Before Hill was victorious in 1996, followed by Jacques
Villeneuve in ’97, becoming the seventh and final Williams driver to win the
championship.
Following the ’97 F1 season, Renault quit
Formula 1 again, and instead supplied Williams with Mecachrome 3.0-litre
normally aspirated V-10 lumps’. Being followed by Supertec V-10 units being
supplied to Williams, Arrows and BAR. While Benetton ran the customer badged
Playlife V-10 engine for three season; All being based off of the championship
winning Renault RS V-10 engine.
Renault then bought the Benetton team, which
became the Werks’ Renault F1 team between 2001 and 2010. Although running the
’01 season as Benetton…
The team’s zenith was Fernando Alonso winning
back-to-back F1 Drivers titles in 2005-06. Along with Renault winning both
years Constructors championship, led by the imperious HMS Monogram’, aka
Flavour Flav’, nee Flavio Briatore. Hmm, why is that name familiar, eh?
Although it was also under Briatore’s reign
that Renault had its darkest day, simply known as Crashgate! When Nelson Piquet
Jr. deliberately crashed to enable Alonso to win the 2008 Singapore grand Prix!
Renault pulled the plug as a Constructor once
again, at season’s end of 2010. Seeing dueling Lotus-Lotus F1 Teams on the grid
for 2011, i.e.; Team Lotus v Lotus GP. For which the most memorable portion of
the Lotus era was thee Kimster’, nee Iceman, aka Kimi Raikkonen famously
telling the team to “Just leave Me Alone, I Know What to do!” Over the In-car
radio enroute to winning the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Renault once again returned to Formula 1 as a
Werks’ outfit under the Renault Sport banner in 2015. Then being rebranded as
Alpine in 2021, and now once again under the tutelage of Briatore…
Renault also supplied its 2.4-liter normally
aspirated V-8 engines to Scuderia Toro Rosso and Red Bull Racing. With Red Bull
scoring a quadruple “double” between 2010-13.
With ‘lil syd Viddle’, aka Sebastian Vettel
setting many F1 records during this period. Including then setting the record
for most wins in a season with 13, which included the record of nine
consecutive wins in 2013; both since eclipsed by Max Verstappen’s 2023 season.
As Vettel still holds the record for most poles
in a season at 15. Along with winning the Drivers title and Red Bull the
Constructors title four consecutive years. Before le Reggie’s engine dominance
waned, having scored just one single victory during the Power Unit (PU) era.
When Esteban Ocon scored a surprise victory for Alpine at the 2021 Hungarian
Grand Prix.
Yet its sad to “See” Renault, who’ve wone twelve F1 constructors and eleven Drivers World Championships with the fourth most wins as an engine manufacturer leave the sport, again…
