The official return of Renault to the Formula 1 circus would only take place in 2002, even though the diamond-badged manufacturer had never fully abandoned the top category. From 1989 to 1997, it had repeatedly continued its activity as an engine supplier. Over the years, the French constructor’s efforts proved rather prolific, leading to several championship titles thanks to Williams and Benetton. During the 2000 season, the company owned by the well-known Veneto clothing brand sold the team to Renault, which reinstated Flavio Briatore at the helm but decided to wait another year before putting its name and colors on the single-seaters built at the Enstone factory. This transition period was justified by Renault’s then-president, Patrick Faure, as a necessary year of consolidation to strengthen and develop the team, during which several solutions were tested.
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| BENETTON B201, Giancarlo Fisichella Melbourne, Australian GP 2001 |
In particular, for the 2001 season, the new RS21 engine was tested, marking a sharp break from the past and a technological step forward in terms of compactness, weight, and efficiency. The architecture of the new V10 RS21, with a 111° bank angle, was a true novelty compared to the other engine makers, who all stuck to the classic 90° or 72° layouts. This new Renault engine design allowed the car’s center of gravity to be lowered and, in terms of weight, saved about 20 kilograms compared to the previous Supertec unit, a V10 also derived from a Renault project and used by Benetton until the end of the 2000 season. Unfortunately, this sudden weight reduction triggered several torsional rigidity issues, which the French engine builders addressed during the year by adopting a heavier, reinforced version of their engine. Other problems arose because the wide bank angle generated very high under-hood temperatures. Initially, Renault’s racing department at Viry-Châtillon, led by Bernard Dudot as Technical Director for the engine, envisioned several innovative solutions for the RS21, including an unprecedented piezoelectric injection system. However, these ideas were abandoned due to the technical complications stemming from the unit’s unusual architecture. Track testing began as early as winter 2000, using a modified Benetton B200 chassis updated to the “B” specification to house the new engine mated to a purpose-built transmission, with lead driver Giancarlo Fisichella handling the early development work and logging significant mileage.
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| BENETTON B201, Jenson Button Montecarlo, Monaco GP 2001 |
Naturally, a new chassis had to be built around the engine, so Briatore overhauled the technical staff responsible for the B201 project. The role of Technical Director went to British engineer Mike Gascoyne, a veteran with an impressive résumé at McLaren, Tyrrell, and Jordan. He designed the new Benetton B201 with some solutions reminiscent of his previous three years at Jordan, such as the steeply sloping engine cover and the triangularly shaped air intake. However, the B201’s real distinguishing features came from its very compact sidepods, made possible by the integration of the small, lightweight Renault V10 into the bodywork. The nose featured highly unusual wing supports reminiscent of those used by Harvey Postlethwaite and Jean-Claude Migeot on the 1990 Tyrrell 019, with their characteristic gull-wing profile. The front wing itself, to comply with new FIA regulations for 2001, had its lateral sections raised by 5 cm, with the central portion between the pylons lower and separate. Instead of simply curving the wing surface and raising the tips, as most teams did, early versions of the B201 used a more complex structure, later revised during the season to a more conventional layout with narrower, traditional pylons. Other distinctive details included tall flow deflectors alongside the monocoque that tapered down toward the sidepod inlets. Also in 2001, Michelin returned to Formula 1, ending Bridgestone’s monopoly, and became the official tire supplier for the Renault-owned team, aiming to revive the glory days of French-made equipment, as in the Ligier era of the late 1970s. There were also changes in fuels and lubricants, with French company Elf continuing its historic partnership with Renault.
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| BENETTON B201, Giancarlo Fisichella Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian GP 2001 |
On the driver front, alongside confirmed Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella, the team signed British rising star Jenson Button, who the previous year, at just 20 years old, had jumped straight from Formula 3 to Formula 1 with Williams-BMW, impressing despite technical difficulties for the Bavarian engine maker, itself returning to the sport. The third driver and tester was Australian Mark Webber, while another young talent, Spanish driver Fernando Alonso (born 1981), took part in the car’s launch as the team’s fourth representative. The B201 was unveiled in Italy, in Venice, in deference to the license under which the team still raced while awaiting Renault’s official entry the following year. The backdrop was Piazza San Marco on February 6, 2001. Before that, the car had been shown to the media at the old granaries of the Venetian Republic on the island of Giudecca, after its first shakedown on February 2 in Barcelona, again with Fisichella at the wheel. Unfortunately, the start of the racing season turned into a real ordeal due to numerous reliability issues. Even so, the Roman driver managed to take sixth place, and thus a single point, in the third race in Brazil.
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| BENETTON B201, Jenson Button Suzuka, Japanese GP 2001 |
The B201s would not score again until the German Grand Prix, where both Benettons finished in the top six at the fast Hockenheim circuit, a track theoretically unfavorable for the B201, which was lacking in power compared to rivals but, for once, escaped the usual reliability gremlins. Progress was mainly due to modifications to the French V10 introduced during the season by Renault’s racing department. In parallel, aerodynamic updates were made, and while the car was never able to fight for top positions, its chassis performance gradually improved. In May, joining Technical Director Gascoyne, Benetton recruited Mark Smith from Jordan, where he had been Chief Designer since 1991. He too contributed to the B201’s development process. The best result of the season came in Belgium, at the demanding Spa-Francorchamps circuit, where Fisichella took an unexpected third place, making the most of rivals’ misfortunes and changeable weather. The season ended without further highlights for the Enstone-based team, which was already looking to the following year and Renault’s full-fledged return as the true starting point. Thanks to Fisichella’s podium and three additional points finishes, two for the Italian and one for Button, Benetton ended the season with 10 points and seventh place in the Constructors’ Championship, a result well below the team’s expectations.
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