Renault Sport

Renault Sport (French pronunciation: [ʁəno spɔʁ]) or Renaultsport, was the motorsport, performance and special vehicles division for Renault-badged cars and is now a sub-badge of Renault cars managed by Alpine. Renault Sport was officially established in 1976 as a merger between the Alpine and Gordini competition departments.[4] It was reorganised in 2002 and 2016. In December 2021, all Renault Sport operations were merged into an Alpine-led business unit.[3] The Renault Sport car range under Alpine is set to be almost completely phased out by the end of 2023.

Renault Sport
Formerly
  • Renault Sport (1976–2002)
  • Renault Sport Technologies (2002–2015)[1]
  • Renault Sport Racing/Renault Sport Cars (2016–2021)
TypeDivision
IndustryAutomotive
Founded1976 [2]
DefunctDecember 2023 (2023-12) (as an standalone unit)[3]
ProductsSports cars
ParentAlpine
DivisionsGordini
Renault Tech

History
A Renault R5 Maxi Turbo
Old Renault Sport's logo used from the mid-1980s to 2004
Renault Alpine A110

Renault Sport was created at the end of 1976, when Renault closed down the Alpine competition department (at that time, its main motorsport division), located at Dieppe, and moved all the racing activities to the Gordini factory at Viry-Châtillon,[5][6] just outside Paris.[6][7][8] The Dieppe-based Alpine department specialised in the construction of race car chassis while the Viry-Châtillon-based Gordini focussed on engines. However, several conflicts emerged between them, and Renault took the decision to unify both departments into a single location in order to achieve a greater integration and harmony.[4] The company concentrated principally on developing a car for Formula One, although it also participated in other series.

In 2002, the Viry-Châtillon factory became the engine department of the Renault F1 team and Renault Sport was moved to Les Ulis and renamed Renault Sport Technologies (RST).[9]

On 3 February 2016, Renault announced a reorganisation of its racing and performance activities. The Formula One operation and RST's former motorsport branch were put under the new Renault Sport Racing division. RST's former roadcar branch at Les Ulis became the Renault Sport Cars division.[10]

In January 2021, the Alpine company announced it would absorb both Renault Sport Racing and Renault Sport Cars to form an Alpine business unit.[11] The Renault Sport range, under Alpine, is slowly being phased out. The final new Renault Sport-badged car, the Megane Renault Sport Ultime (a variant of the fourth-generation Megane model) introduced in early 2023, is set to cease production in late 2023.[12]

Rallying

Gordini-tuned Renault cars won many rallies during the 1950s and 1960s, and Alpine, being a subsidiary of Renault, won the first World Rally Championship (WRC) in 1973. In the WRC, Renault had some success with cars such as the R5 Turbo and the R17 Gordini until it left international rallying in late 1994[13] (although it continued competing in national and promotional rally series).

The European Rally Championship was won three times by a Renault car (1999, 2004, 2005).

On 21 February 2013, Renault Sport Technologies announced its official return to international rallying in the European Rally Championship.[14][15]

Renault's WRC summary
Season Victories WMC Points
1974† United States Press-on-Regardless Rally: France Jean-Luc Thérier (Renault 17 Gordini) 10th 23
1975† - 15th 8
1976 - 14th 6
1977 - 11th 18
1978 - 9th 33
1979 - 7th 41
1980 - 13th 12
1981 Monaco Monte Carlo Rally: France Jean Ragnotti (Renault 5 Turbo) 7th 61
1982 France Tour de Corse: France Jean Ragnotti (Renault 5 Turbo) 6th 34
1983 - 5th 27
1984 - 5th 55
1985 France Tour de Corse: France Jean Ragnotti (Renault R5 Maxi Turbo) 6th 38
1986 Portugal Rally of Portugal: Portugal Joaquim Moutinho (Renault 5 Turbo) 7th 14
1987 - 3rd 71
1988 - 6th 32
1989 Ivory Coast Rallye Côte d'Ivoire: France Alain Oreille (Renault 5 GT Turbo) 7th 30
1990 - 6th 24
1991 - 9th 4
1992 - 8th 9
1993 - NC -
1994 - NC -
Source: [16]

† Without Renault Sport assistance.

JWRC
Year Entrant Car No Driver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 JWRC Points
2003 Renault Sport Renault Clio S1600 61 France Brice Tirabassi MON
1		 TUR
Ret		 GRE
1		 FIN
2		 ITA
Ret		 ESP
1		 GBR
Ret		 1st 38
2004 Renault Sport Renault Clio S1600 39 France Nicolas Bernardi MON
1		 GRE
2		 TUR
Ret		 FIN
3		 GBR
Ret		 ITA
6		 ESP
1		 2nd 37
51 Belgium Larry Cols MON
5		 GRE
4		 TUR
Ret		 FIN
6		 GBR
Ret		 ITA
4		 ESP
5		 6th 21
2006 Renault Sport Renault Clio S1600 41 Sweden Patrik Sandell SWE
2		 ESP FRA ARG
2		 ITA
1		 GER FIN
7		 TUR
11		 GBR
6		 1st 32
51 Turkey Fatih Kara SWE ESP
7		 FRA
6		 ARG ITA
Ret		 GER
7		 FIN TUR
9		 GBR
Ret		 16th 7
52 Belgium Bernd Casier SWE ESP
2		 FRA
10		 ARG ITA
Ret		 GER
2		 FIN TUR
8		 GBR
Ret		 11th 17
2007 Renault Sport Renault Clio R3 31 Sweden Patrik Sandell NOR
2		 POR
15		 ITA
8		 FIN
1		 GER
EX		 ESP FRA 6th 19
48 Finland Kalle Pinomäki NOR
10		 POR
9		 ITA
Ret		 FIN
2		 GER
9		 ESP
Ret		 FRA 11th 8

Off-roading

In 1979, the Marreau brothers finished in second place in the cars category at the Rally Dakar driving a Sinpar-prepared 4L 4x4. They won the 1982 edition with a Renault Sport backed Renault 20 Turbo 4x4.[17] Later, Renault Sport powered and sponsored the Schlesser-Renault Elf buggies which won the 1999[18] and 2000 editions.[19] The 1999 car was the first two-wheel drive Dakar winner.[20]

Renault 20 Turbo 4X4 Paris-Dakar - 1982

Formula E
A Renault Sport-backed e.dams car driven by Nicolas Prost during the 2014 Punta del Este ePrix weekend

Renault was one of the first car manufacturers involved in the Formula E (FE) championship.[21] For the inaugural season, Renault Sport became a technical partner of the series,[22] also agreeing a title sponsorship deal with the e.dams team[23] which achieved the first FE teams' championship.[21] Before the 2015–16 season, following the introduction of new rules allowing the development of the electric powertrains used in the FE's Spark chassis, Renault announced it would entry as a supplier for e.dams.[21] The new powertrain manufactured by Renault Sport was named Renault ZE 15.[24] For the 2016–17 season, Renault added the Chinese team Techeetah as a powertrain client.[25] In October 2017, Renault Sport Racing announced it would withdraw from FE at the end of the 2017–18 season.[26]

Results of Renault Sport as a powertrain supplier

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position, results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Season Entrant Chassis Powertrain Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Points TC
2015–16 Renault e.dams Spark Renault ZE 15 M BEI PUT PDE BNA MEX LBH PAR BER LON 270 1st
France Nicolas Prost Ret 10 5 5 3 11 4 4 1 1
Switzerland Sébastien Buemi 1 Ret 1 2 2 16 3 1 5 Ret
2016–17 Renault e.dams Spark Renault ZE 16 M HKG MAR BNA MEX MON PAR BER NYC MTR 268 1st
France Nicolas Prost 4 4 4 5 9 5 5 8 8 6 6 Ret
Switzerland Sébastien Buemi 1 1 1 13 1 1 DSQ 1 DSQ 11
France Pierre Gasly 7 4
Techeetah
France Jean-Éric Vergne Ret 8 2 2 Ret Ret 8 6 2 8 2 1 156 5th
China Qing Hua Ma Ret 15 16
Mexico Esteban Gutiérrez 10 8 12
France Stéphane Sarrazin 11 14 3 12 3 8
2017–18 Renault e.dams Spark Renault ZE 17 M HKG MAR SAN MEX PDE ROM PAR BER ZÜR NYC 133 5th
France Nicolas Prost 9 8 13 10 Ret 15 14 16 14 Ret 10 11
Switzerland Sébastien Buemi 11 10 2 3 3 Ret 6 5 4 5 3 4
Techeetah
Germany André Lotterer DSQ 13 Ret 2 13 12 3 6 9 4 7 9 262 2nd
France Jean-Éric Vergne 2 4 5 1 5 1 5 1 3 10 5 1

Formula One
Main article: Renault in Formula One
Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault) driving the R26 at the 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix

From 1977 to 1986 and again between 1989 and 1997, Renault Sport was in charge of Renault's Formula One programme.[27] Renault Sport F1, created at the end of 2010 and active until 2015, was a subsequent incarnation of Renault's involvement in Formula One and was headquartered in Viry-Châtillon, which functioned as a semi-independent operation.[28][29][30] In 2016, the Formula One operation became part of Renault Sport Racing.[10] In September 2020, the Renault company said it would repurpose the F1 team to promote Alpine.[31]

Formula Two

Alpine constructed various chassis and prepared engines for Formula Two (F2). In 1973, Renault-Gordini (later Renault Sport) introduced a two-litre V6 engine for F2, the CH, which was the basis of its future Le Mans and F1 engines.[32] Jean-Pierre Jabouille and René Arnoux won the 1976 and 1977 European Formula Two Championships with Renault-powered cars.[33]

1976

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Entrant Chassis Engine Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Driver's Championship Points
Écurie Renault Elf Martini MK16/MK19 Renault-Gordini CH1 West Germany United Kingdom Italy Austria France West Germany France Italy Italy Portugal France West Germany
France Patrick Tambay 3 3 2 3 Ret 3 Ret 3 Ret Ret 1 Ret 3rd 39
France René Arnoux 2 7 Ret 4 1 5 10 2 1 1 Ret 3 2nd 52
Equipe Elf Switzerland Elf 2J France Jean-Pierre Jabouille Ret 14 1 6 3 4 2 1 4 2 Ret 1 1st 53
France Michel Leclère Ret Ret 4 1 Ret 2 Ret Ret Ret 8 3 2 4th 33
1977

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Entrant Chassis Engine Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Driver's Championship Points
Écurie Renault Elf Martini MK22 Renault-Gordini CH1 United Kingdom United Kingdom West Germany West Germany Italy France Italy France France Italy Italy Portugal United Kingdom
France René Arnoux 1 Ret 2 5 Ret 1 16 Ret 1 Ret 1 2 6 1st 52
France Didier Pironi Ret Ret Ret 4 2 2 Ret 3 Ret 4 5 1 3 3rd 38
Willy Kauhsen Renault Elf Racing Team Kauhsen (Elf 2J) France Michel Leclère Ret Ret Ret DNS Ret Ret DNS DNQ 15 DNQ 10 — 0
West Germany Klaus Ludwig Ret Ret Ret 8 DSQ 7 — 0
France José Dolhem Ret — 0
France Alain Prost 10 Ret — 0
Italy Vittorio Brambilla Ret — 0
Portugal Mário Silva DNQ — 0

Note: During this season Scuderia Everest also entered Renault-powered cars, although those were not supplied by Renault Sport.

Formula Three

Gordini and Alpine-tuned Renault engines were used in various Formula Three (F3) series since the 1960s. Alpine (a partially owned subsidiary of Renault since 1973) also developed cars for the category.[32] In 1979, Alain Prost won the FIA European Formula Three Championship with a Renault engine prepared by Oreca. The last victory of a Renault engine before its withdrawal from the formula at the end of 2003 was in the 2003 Macau Grand Prix with a Sodemo-tuned unit from a Signature Team's Dallara car driven by Nicolas Lapierre.[34][35]

Renault Alpine A442B - 1978

Renault Sport Technologies announced its return to F3 as an engine supplier with Oreca again as engine tuner for the 2014 FIA European Formula Three Championship.[36] However, this was indefinitely halted because of the lack of power of the Oreca-tuned engine compared to rivals.[37]

Sportscars
Alain Menu driving for Renault in the 1998 British Touring Car Championship season

Renault Sport was responsible for Renault's sports car racing entries during the 1970s, including their win at the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans race with the Renault Alpine A442.[38]

Touring cars

Capitalising on the growing reputation and success of the Super Touring regulations introduced in the early 1990s, Renault made the decision to enter the British Touring Car Championship in 1993 with reigning champion Tim Harvey and Alain Menu signed as their drivers.[39] Renault's first BTCC effort was based on the Renault 19 chassis, initially developed by test driver Jean Ragnotti. Success was almost immediate as Harvey and Menu scored a win each in 1993, before the 19 was replaced with the new Renault Laguna for 1994. The Laguna lent itself as a more competitive proposition than its predecessor and went on to be a highly successful car throughout its racing life, the highlight being in 1997 when Alain Menu took 12 victories on his way to the championship.[40]

Hillclimbing

In 2011, a Dacia Duster car prepared for Renault Sport Technologies, Sodemo and Tork Engineering and fitted with a Nissan GT-R engine participated at the Pike's Peak hillclimbing.[41]

Car manufacturing
Renault Clio RS 2012

In 1994, Renault discontinued the Alpine marque, badging since then its sport cars manufactured at the Dieppe factory as Renault Sport, beginning with the Renault Sport Spider in 1996.[42] The production of Renault Sport cars for the mainstream markets at Dieppe ended in 2018. Renault Sport models are also produced at Renault Spain's Palencia factory (Mégane Renault Sport).[43]

Current models

Former models

Divisions

Renault Sport is in charge of the conception and manufacturing of the Gordini-badged sport cars[48] and also of modifying cars and vans for special purposes (transporting people with reduced mobility, driving school cars, business fleets) through its division Renault Tech.[49][50]

Sites
  • Les Ulis (car development, management)
  • Viry-Châtillon (racing car development, marketing)

Activities
  • Manufacturer of limited edition sport and special purpose models
  • Competitor in motorsport events, for example:
    • Rallying
    • Organisation of single-model vehicle championships
  • Organiser or/and sponsor of the Formula Renault national and international championships
  • Organiser of the Renault Sport Series on circuits
  • Former shareholder in SMA Engines; an aircraft engine manufacturer, an alliance of RST, EADS and SAFRAN
Renault Clio S1600, Rally Príncipe de Asturias, 2005

Championships

Renault Sport organises several national and international one-make racing championships.

International
Renault 8 Gordini Coupe des Alpes 1968

Many international subsidiaries of Renault have their own Renault Sport division, including Renault UK,[51] Renault Argentina,[52] Renault Spain and Renault Italy,[53] among others.

Renault in motorsport

Renault is also involved in other racing series but not as Renault Sport.

References
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