1984 marked the beginning of the end for Renault's first stint as a constructor in Formula 1. Years of disappointment led the French manufacturer’s management to scale back its F1 involvement. They let top driver Alain Prost leave for McLaren and cut the team’s racing budget. The choice of new drivers, Frenchman Patrick Tambay, who had been brought into Ferrari to replace the late Gilles Villeneuve, and Briton Derek Warwick, who had achieved only minor results with Toleman, further reinforced this perception.
 |
| RENAULT RE50, Derek Warwick Brands Hatch, British GP 1984 |
For the 1984 season, technical director Bernard Dudot, designer Michel Tétu, and chief aerodynamicist Jean-Claude Migeot developed the Renault RE50, built around a carbon monocoque chassis and powered by the brand-new Renault EF4 V6 Turbo engine. This power unit replaced the aging EF1, a six-year-old design, and was paired with a strengthened version of the five-speed Hewland FGA gearbox reinforced by Renault itself.
 |
| RENAULT RE50, Patrick Tambay Monza, Italian GP 1984 |
The new car had a wheelbase of 2680 mm, used Michelin tires, and was notably light for a turbocharged vehicle. This lightness resulted mainly from using fewer carbon fiber sheets in the chassis, which, in turn, weakened the structure. A symbolic example came in Monaco, where Warwick crashed into the barriers at the first corner, only to be struck by teammate Tambay who also braked late. Both sustained leg injuries (Tambay even fractured his left leg) due to suspension arms puncturing the carbon monocoque.
 |
| RENAULT RE50, Patrick Tambay Jacarepaguà, Bazilian GP 1984 |
Although early-season testing showed promise, with both drivers regularly among the front runners, the RE50’s performance declined with numerous retirements and mediocre results, occasionally interrupted by highs such as two second-place finishes in France and the UK, yet no victories. The EF4 engine’s high fuel consumption (despite exceeding 800 hp) also proved problematic, even with a mid-season electronic fuel monitoring system.
 |
| RENAULT RE50, Philippe Streiff Estoril, Portuguese GP 1984 |
At the season finale in Portugal at Estoril, a third RE50 was entered for promising French driver Philippe Streiff. Despite qualifying 13th, over 1.5 seconds behind the regular drivers, he retired from the race while running at the back. Renault ended the Constructors' Championship in fifth place with just 34 points. Warwick finished seventh with 23 points, and Tambay eleventh with 11 points. These results pushed Renault management to focus solely on supplying engines to customer teams moving forward.
Comments
Post a Comment