The “turbo” project introduced by Renault to Formula 1 back in 1977 had by now reached maturity, and the RE30B used by the diamond-badged team in the 1982 season was likely the ideal car to fight for the championship. A group of engineers led by Bernard Dudot, with designers Michèle Tétu and François Castaing, along with aerodynamicist Marcel Hubert, updated the already capable RE30 from 1981 to meet new regulations, which required fixed side skirts with a minimum ground clearance of 6 cm, and a deformable structure in front of the pedals.
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| RENAULT RE30B, Alain Prost Brands Hatch, British GP 1982 |
The “B” version of the RE30 retained much of the technical excellence from the previous year, with the EF1 turbocharged V6 engine further enhanced to deliver 590 horsepower at 11,500 rpm. Renault also developed its own gearbox, replacing the previously used Hewland, to withstand the violent torque from the engine.
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| RENAULT RE30B, René Arnoux Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1982 |
The chassis, suspension, and Michelin radial tires remained unchanged, while minor bodywork changes featured more rounded shapes and particularly long side pods to compensate for the downforce loss caused by the elimination of sliding skirts.These updates initially proved excellent, with Prost winning the first two races and becoming the early favorite for the world title.
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| RENAULT RE30B, Alain Prost Brands Hatch, British GP 1982 |
However, from the third race onward, the RE30B suffered an incredible streak of retirements, mostly due to crashes or engine failures. The source of these issues lay in the new electronic fuel injection system, which, while improving the Turbo Renault’s power and smoothness, was still too experimental and fragile to ensure reliability. The RE30B proved to be an exceptional car in qualifying, Prost and Arnoux claimed 10 pole positions or always started at the front, but its reliability was inconsistent.
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| RENAULT RE30B, René Arnoux Montrèal, Canadian GP 1982 |
Despite a sparkling start to the season with two wins for Prost and a strong finish with two more wins from Arnoux, the drivers’ title remained elusive for Renault. Prost finished fourth with 34 points, Arnoux sixth with 28, while Renault ranked third in the constructors’ standings behind Ferrari and McLaren, with 62 points from 4 wins, 3 second places, and 1 third place.
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