RENAULT R202

    From the very beginning of its history, the name Renault has been synonymous with success in racing. After founding their car company, the Renault brothers immediately decided to take part in motor racing competitions, from which they could gain commercial advantages. After Marcel, one of the Renault brothers, died in a racing accident, Louis and Fernand preferred to leave the sport, but the racing tradition of the French company grew stronger over the years. Its presence in Formula 1 from 1977 to 1985 with the innovative turbocharged V6 made history, as did the supply of V10 engines to Williams and Benetton in the 1990s, which led to the conquest of 14 world titles between drivers and constructors. After leaving Formula 1 in 1997, Renault’s desire for a spectacular comeback never waned, and in 2001 the French brand acquired the shares of the once-glorious but now declining Benetton team, which closed its doors at the end of the season after 17 years, culminating in 2 drivers’ championships and 1 constructors’ title, all won with Michael Schumacher at the wheel between 1994 and 1995.

RENAULT R202, Jarno Trulli
Catalunya-Barcelona, Spanish GP 2002

   Renault thus officially returned to Formula 1 with the clear long-term ambition of winning the World Championship with a completely in-house car, from chassis to engine, as declared by Renault F1 CEO Patrick Faure. From the previous season, Flavio Briatore was confirmed as Sporting Director and Mike Gascoyne as Technical Director, while a large number of new engineers were hired to lay the foundations of a winning team. At Briatore’s court arrived Bob Bell, who, after a decade at McLaren during the Prost and Senna era and three seasons at Jordan, took on the role of Deputy Technical Director at Renault, and Tim Densham as Chief Designer. Like Bell, Mark Smith and John Iley also came from Jordan, with Smith becoming Head of the Single-Seater Project and Iley taking charge of Aerodynamics. Tad Czapski, already known at Benetton where he worked as an electronics engineer during Schumacher’s two world titles, was recalled by Briatore to lead the Research and Development department.

RENAULT R202, Jenson Button
Catalunya-Barcelona, Spanish GP 2002

   The new Renault R202 was unveiled on January 27, 2002, at Renault’s headquarters in Viry-Châtillon, near Paris, and despite the “100% Renault” slogan, the previous Benetton numbering was continued, replacing only the letter B with R (from B201 to R202). The first fully Renault-built single-seater was nevertheless a simple evolution of the Benetton B201, although the new R202 was based on wind tunnel studies and track tests carried out during the 2001 season with the B201. Mike Gascoyne emphasized that during the 2001 championship significant aerodynamic and mechanical reliability progress had been made, culminating in noticeable performance improvements towards the end of the season. All the updates and evolutions were transferred to the new R202, which also benefited from the new RS22 V10, characterized by an unusually wide 111° bank angle, allowing for a particularly low center of gravity but at the expense of higher engine bay temperatures. The new French V10 was designed by Jean-Jacques His, a historic Renault engine specialist, together with Bernard Dudot, who, as Engine Technical Director, oversaw the engine’s track development. At the start of the season, it delivered about 800 hp, 20 more than its predecessor, the RS21. Once the cooling issues were resolved with a new radiator system installed on the R202, the French V10 was pushed to 825 hp at 17,500 rpm, making it competitive with the Ferrari and Mercedes V10s, though still far from the 940 hp produced by the BMW V10, which, however, proved heavier and less reliable.

RENAULT R202, Jarno Trulli
Montréal, Canadian GP 2002

   The new engine was paired with the same six-speed longitudinal semi-automatic gearbox already seen on the B201, with the only change being a titanium casing, making it stiffer and lighter. The new carbon-fiber and aluminum honeycomb composite monocoque chassis was designed and manufactured directly by Renault, optimizing rigidity and weight. The front suspension featured carbon-fiber upper and lower wishbones operating an internal titanium rocker through a pushrod system, connected to the torsion bar and single damper, while at the rear the same scheme was used but with vertically mounted torsion bars and dampers fixed to the gearbox casing. To reinforce the “in-house” philosophy, the car’s electronic systems were also developed internally by Renault F1, while lubricants, fuel, and tires were supplied by French partners Elf and Michelin. The shape of the new R202 remained almost identical to the previous B201, although the front wing was modified, adopting the classic “spoon” profile already seen on several cars, especially Ferrari, supported by two softer-shaped vertical pylons compared to the seagull-style ones used in 2001. While maintaining the Mild Seven sponsorship, the livery changed significantly, with Renault’s traditional yellow dominating most of the bodywork, bargeboards, and engine cover, while the nose, sidepods, and upper engine cover retained the sponsor’s light blue.

RENAULT R202, Jenson Button
Montecarlo, Monaco GP 2002 

   On the driver front, Englishman Jenson Button was confirmed, while Italian Jarno Trulli joined from Jordan. As third driver, the Spanish prospect Fernando Alonso was signed, returning to Briatore’s management after a year of apprenticeship at Minardi. The R202 proved to be a good car, and the fourth place in the standings, declared as the goal by Patrick Faure on team presentation day, became a reality at the end of the season. In the first four races, Button scored points three times, and repeated the feat four more times during the year. Trulli also finished in the points on four occasions but suffered numerous retirements, many due to the still limited reliability of the French V10. The 23 championship points and the fourth place in the standings nevertheless satisfied Renault’s management, committed to a project aimed at returning to the top of Formula 1.