RENAULT RE60 Turbo

   The Renault RE60 Turbo marks the swan song of the French automotive giant's first venture as a Formula 1 constructor. The leading engineer behind the "Renault-Turbo" project, Michel Tétu, who had been involved in the racing division since 1977, left the team along with four other key technical staff members. This forced Renault to rebuild its entire technical department, with only Bernard Dudot and Jean-Claude Migeot remaining from the old team.

RENAULT RE60, Derek Warwick
Brands Hatch, European GP 1985

   Tétu’s position was taken over by Jean-Marc D'Adda, who was taking on his first role as a Formula 1 car designer, and it showed. The new car was directly derived from the previous RE50, but featured an awkward duckbill nose—very flat and wide. Although the bodywork was nearly identical to its predecessor, during pre-season testing at the Brazilian Jacarepaguà circuit, the RE60 performed embarrassingly poorly, proving to be over 3 seconds slower than the RE50. The technical staff quickly came under scrutiny and responded by redesigning the suspension geometry and further enhancing the V6 EF4 Turbo engine, leading to only slight improvements.

 RENAULT RE60, Patrick Tambay
Imola, San Marino GP 1985

   The 1984 driver lineup was confirmed for the new season, with Frenchman Patrick Tambay and Briton Derek Warwick, joined by rookie François Hesnault at the German Grand Prix, where Renault fielded three cars. Tambay managed to keep up with the competition during the first three races, earning two low podium finishes. However, results declined dramatically as the season progressed, with the French car frequently retiring or finishing far behind.

 RENAULT RE60, Patrick Tambay
Estoril, Portuguese GP 1985

   Despite the mid-season introduction of an upgraded version, the RE60B, equipped with an even more powerful engine, results did not improve. This led then-Renault general manager Georges Besse to end the company's role as a constructor at the close of the season, continuing only as an engine supplier. Tambay’s two podiums at the start of the season remained the team’s best results, and Renault finished seventh in the constructors’ championship with 16 points, behind Lotus and Ligier, who also used the Renault EF4 engine. Derek Warwick managed just three points-scoring finishes and ended the championship with only 5 points.

 RENAULT RE60, François Hesnault
Nürburgring, German GP 1985

   At the end of 1984, Warwick had been approached by the Williams team, which was using Honda turbo engines, to replace Jacques Laffite, who was returning to Ligier. Since the Honda engine had yet to prove itself in 1984, Warwick believed his chances of winning were better with Renault and re-signed for the 1985 season. Meanwhile, Williams gave the seat to Nigel Mansell, who went on to win 2 races in 1985 and 26 more over the next 7 seasons with Williams, eventually becoming World Champion in 1992. Warwick’s career, in contrast, was essentially derailed, he would go on to drive only second-tier cars and never win another race.