RENAULT R23

   In 2002, the first year of Renault’s official return to Formula 1 as a constructor, the words spoken at the start of the season by Renault F1’s CEO at the time, Patrick Faure, proved to be prophetic when the team secured fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship by the end of the year. The team, managed by Team Principal Flavio Briatore, had been carefully built up by the Italian manager, an expert in the world of Formula 1, since 2001, when the team was still competing under an Italian license as Benetton Formula.

RENAULT R23, Fernando Alonso
Melbourne, Australian GP 2003 

   The Technical Director in charge of the new Renault R23 project remained the British engineer Mike Gascoyne, a respected designer active in the sport since 1989, alongside Pat Symonds, who had been with the team since its early days in Formula 1 in the early 1980s, when it was still called Toleman, continuing in his role as Executive Engineer. Northern Irishman Bob Bell and the Englishmen Mark Smith and John Iley, all recruited by Briatore from Jordan Grand Prix in 2001, were once again tasked in 2003 with the roles of Deputy Technical Director (Bell), Project Manager (Smith), and Head of Aerodynamics (Iley), the same positions they had already held during the 2002 season. The British engineer Tim Densham continued as Chief Designer of the new car, while Tad Czapski, another British engineer with past experience at Benetton and a brief stint at Ferrari alongside Schumacher before being brought back to Renault by Briatore, once again worked in 2003 as Research & Development Engineer. Meanwhile, Iley remained Head of Aerodynamics. The technical staff, mostly British, was completed by Frenchman Bernard Dudot, who, as requested by Renault itself, oversaw the trackside development of the powerful V10 RS23 engine. This French V10 was one of the most distinctive features of the new R23. Designed by Jean-Jacques His, Renault’s historic engine specialist, along with Dudot, it was notable for its unusually wide 111° V angle, in contrast to the more traditional 90° or 72° configurations used by rivals. This wider angle allowed for a significantly lower center of gravity but at the cost of higher engine bay temperatures, increased weight, and particularly compromised rear aerodynamics due to the broader lateral dimensions of the cylinder banks. Indeed, despite delivering an impressive 850 hp at 17,800 rpm, the engine failed six times during races in the 2003 season, prompting His and Dudot to abandon the concept and design a new V10 from scratch with a more conventional 72° angle for the 2004 season.

RENAULT R23, Jarno Trulli
Catalunya-Barcelona, Spanish GP 2003

   As with the previous car, all components were manufactured in-house by Renault, from the carbon-fiber and titanium push-rod suspension monocoque chassis to the new transmission unit featuring a longitudinal semi-automatic gearbox with just six gears, built in titanium and carbon. At Renault F1’s Enstone headquarters in West Oxfordshire, England, the electronics for chassis management and software control systems, such as gearbox and engine management links, were also developed. In short, it was a fully in-house-built car, even though the engine was assembled and managed at Renault’s Viry-Châtillon facility near Paris. The car’s aesthetics and livery remained almost unchanged compared to the last version of the R202, seen in the closing races of 2002, with Renault yellow and Mild Seven blue dominating. The launch of the new R23 took place in two stages: first in Lucerne, Switzerland, as requested by the tobacco sponsor who was unable to display its branding in France due to national advertising restrictions, and then at the Paul Ricard Circuit in Le Castellet, as desired by Renault itself. To emphasize the definitive break with the former Benetton Formula team, the new car’s designation was also updated, from R202 to R23, where “R” stood for Renault and the number represented the project’s year.

RENAULT R23, Fernando Alonso
A1 Ring, Austrian GP 2003

   The drivers for 2003 were the confirmed Italian Jarno Trulli and the emerging Spanish talent Fernando Alonso. After racing with Minardi in 2001 and spending 2002 with Renault as reserve driver behind Button and Trulli, Alonso finally secured a full-time seat as race driver. The third driver role was assigned to Englishman Allan McNish, who had just left Toyota and was strongly desired by Briatore for his testing abilities. The new R23 was undoubtedly a good car, perhaps held back by conservative design choices and an engine not quite on par with the competition, especially in terms of power-to-weight ratio. However, Briatore’s decision to let the talented Button go to BAR to make room for his protégé Alonso proved to be the right call, immediately paying off as the Spaniard shone from the start. In Australia, both drivers scored points, with Trulli finishing fifth and Alonso seventh. Thanks to the new sporting regulations awarding points down to eighth place, Alonso claimed the first points of what would become a long and successful career. At the next race in Malaysia, Alonso took pole position, becoming at the time the youngest driver, and the first Spaniard, to achieve a Formula 1 pole. He then claimed his first podium by finishing third, while Trulli again came home fifth. In Brazil, Alonso once more finished third. After a sixth place at Imola, he delivered an outstanding second place at his home race in Spain, at the Barcelona circuit, to the delight of the Spanish crowd. While Trulli’s performances remained somewhat unremarkable, Alonso consistently challenged the dominant Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, and Williams-BMW teams, securing further results: fifth at Monaco, and fourth in both Canada and at the Nürburgring.

RENAULT R23, Jarno Trulli
Montecarlo, Monaco GP 2003

   After a double retirement at the French Grand Prix, Renault’s home race, the team introduced significant aerodynamic updates to the car. At the following race in Great Britain, the upgraded “B” version of the R23 debuted. With these updates, the car became even more competitive, allowing both drivers to finish the season with strong results. Trulli claimed a podium and four other points finishes in the last six races, while Alonso, though hampered by three retirements in the same period, also secured his first career victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix. That win was historic: Alonso became the first Spaniard to win a Formula 1 race, the youngest race winner at the time, and it marked Renault’s first victory since the 1983 Austrian Grand Prix. At the end of the season, Renault confirmed its fourth place in the Constructors’ standings with 88 points, as it had in 2002, but had now firmly established itself as a team capable of winning, especially with rising star Fernando Alonso.