Since 1977, Renault has played a dual role in Formula 1 as a team owner and engine supplier with three stints in the sport.
Notable Team Members and Drivers
Fernando Alonso: A two-time Formula 1 World Champion with Renault, Alonso returned to the sport with the Alpine F1 Team in 2021. In recent seasons, Alonso has driven for Aston Martin.
Esteban Ocon: A rising star in Formula 1, Ocon joined in 2020 before they became Alpine, where he secured his maiden victory in F1 at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Cyril Abiteboul: Abiteboul was a notable team principal for the Renault F1 Team before its rebranding to Alpine. His time at the team saw their resurgence in competitiveness and the strengthening of its operational and technical base.
Previous Names: Toleman, Benetton, Lotus F1 Team
Next Name: Alpine F1 Team
Renault first entered Formula 1 as a works team in 1977, pioneering turbo engines in the sport with its EF1 engine. Such was its success that, by 1983, it had started providing engines to other teams up and down the grid. But, by the end of the 1985 season, Renault had decided to step back from team ownership despite race victories ending their first stint in Formula 1. The team returned as an F1 owner again from 2002 to 2011 and again when they acquired the Lotus F1 Team in 2016.
Following its first stint in the sport, Renault transitioned to an engine supplier role after the 1985 season. This role was briefly interrupted when Renault exited after 1986, only to return in 1989. This time, Renault focused on supplying engines. Between 1992 and 1997, it secured five drivers’ championships and six constructors’ championships with Williams and Benetton, eventually ceasing its factory supply after 1997. However, teams still used Renault engines until 2000 without official factory support.
In 2000, Renault took over the Benetton Formula 1 Team (originally Toleman), based in Enstone, and resumed its role as a factory engine supplier in 2001. The team, now operating under the Renault name since 2002, clinched both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships in 2005 and 2006, with Fernando Alonso winning both drivers’ championships.
From 2007 to 2020, Renault’s engines also powered various teams, even when not directly competing as a constructor, and even achieved four drivers’ and constructors’ titles with Red Bull Racing from 2010 to 2013.
During this time as engine supplier to Red Bull Racing, Renault underwent another transformation, competing under the Lotus F1 name from 2012 to 2015. This was a transitional period, linking to the team’s history when the Caterham team operated under the Lotus name.
In 2016, Renault reacquired the Lotus F1 Team, becoming a team owner again and reintroducing it under the Renault name. In the same year, while still supplying engines to Red Bull, their engines were branded under the TAG Heuer name, a nod to a unique branding partnership for Red Bull. Similarly, in 2017, despite supplying engines to Toro Rosso, the cars did not bear the Renault name.
Towards the end of the 2010s, Renault also entered into a partnership with McLaren, which replaced the Honda engines it had been running. This deal ran from 2018 to the end of the 2020 season.
After five seasons since acquiring the Lotus team, Renault hadn’t secured any wins and transitioned to their sports car brand name, Alpine, in 2021, with Renault continuing as the engine supplier.
While Renault has dipped in and out of the sport since 1977 they have entered 304 races, secured 35 wins and two constructors’ and drivers’ championships as a team owner. As an engine supplier, it has amassed 12 constructors’ and 11 drivers’ championships, with over 160 wins, placing it fourth in the sport’s all-time rankings.
Renault Formula One World Championship Records
| First entry | 1977 British Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| Races entered | 403 entries (400 starts) |
| Constructors’ Championships | 2 (2005, 2006) |
| Drivers’ Championships | 2 (2005, 2006) |
| Race victories | 35 |
| Podiums | 103 |
| Points | 1777 |
| Pole positions | 51 |
| Fastest laps | 33 |
| Final entry | 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
Renault Formula 1 Team Drivers’ Champions
The following drivers won the Formula One Drivers’ Championship for Renault Formula 1 Team.
| Driver | Nationality | Championship Year |
|---|---|---|
| Fernando Alonso | Spanish | 2005 |
| Fernando Alonso | Spanish | 2006 |
Renault Constructor Championship Results
1977–1985
| Year | Car | Drivers | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | RS01 | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | 0 | NC |
| 1978 | RS01 | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | 3 | 12th |
| 1979 | RS01 RS10 | Jean-Pierre Jabouille René Arnoux | 26 | 6th |
| 1980 | RE20 | Jean-Pierre Jabouille René Arnoux | 38 | 6th |
| 1981 | RE20B RE30 | Alain Prost René Arnoux | 54 | 3rd |
| 1982 | RE30B | Alain Prost René Arnoux | 62 | 3rd |
| 1983 | RE30C RE40 | Alain Prost Eddie Cheever | 79 | 2nd |
| 1984 | RE50 | Patrick Tambay Derek Warwick Philippe Streiff | 34 | 5th |
| 1985 | RE60 RE60B | Patrick Tambay Derek Warwick François Hesnault | 16 | 7th |
2002–2009
| Year | Car | Drivers | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | R202 | Jarno Trulli Jenson Button | 23 | 4th |
| 2003 | R23 R23B | Jarno Trulli Fernando Alonso | 88 | 4th |
| 2004 | R24 | Jarno Trulli Jacques Villeneuve Fernando Alonso | 105 | 3rd |
| 2005 | R25 | Fernando Alonso Giancarlo Fisichella | 191 | 1st |
| 2006 | R26 | Fernando Alonso Giancarlo Fisichella | 206 | 1st |
| 2007 | R27 | Giancarlo Fisichella Heikki Kovalainen | 51 | 3rd |
| 2008 | R28 | Fernando Alonso Nelson Piquet Jr. | 80 | 4th |
| 2009 | R29 | Fernando Alonso Nelson Piquet Jr. Romain Grosjean | 26 | 8th |
| 2010 | R30 | Robert Kubica Vitaly Petrov | 163 | 5th |
| 2011 | R31 | Nick Heidfeld Bruno Senna Vitaly Petrov | 73 | 5th |
2016-2020
| Year | Car | Drivers | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | R.S.16 | Kevin Magnussen Jolyon Palmer | 8 | 9th |
| 2017 | R.S.17 | Nico Hülkenberg Jolyon Palmer Carlos Sainz | 57 | 6th |
| 2018 | R.S.18 | Nico Hülkenberg Carlos Sainz | 122 | 4th |
| 2019 | R.S.19 | Daniel Ricciardo Nico Hülkenberg | 91 | 5th |
| 2020 | R.S.20 | Daniel Ricciardo Esteban Ocon | 181 | 5th |
