If the Renault RS01 had been an experimental car for the French manufacturer, viewed with a mix of curiosity and skepticism by the Formula One community and even nicknamed the "Yellow Teapot" by British journalists due to its frequent turbo failures, then the new Renault RS10 was the car that changed perceptions forever. It demonstrated that the turbocharged engine was the future of Formula One power units.
 |
| RENAULT RS10, René Arnoux Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1979 |
Although still fragile in terms of reliability, an area of intense development for Renault’s engineers, the RS10 proved to be an absolute rocket, practically unbeatable in terms of top speed and lap performance, especially on fast circuits. Its handling remained poor due to the aggressive and abrupt power delivery of the turbo engine, making it difficult to drive on twistier tracks. However, Jean-Pierre Jabouille’s stunning victory at Dijon-Prenois was the culmination of three years of hard work. Even though the race is best remembered for the legendary battle between Gilles Villeneuve and René Arnoux for second place, it was also historic as the first-ever Formula One victory for a turbocharged engine.
 |
| RENAULT RS10, Jean-Pierre Jabouille Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1979 |
The technical director of the project was François Castaing, working alongside designer Michel Tétu and aerodynamicist Marcel Hubert. They created a typical ground-effect car, taking heavy inspiration from the iconic Lotus 79, with long sidepods housing the engine's cooling system. The chassis was an aluminum monocoque with the fuel tank positioned behind the driver, and the car featured small wings, as the high aerodynamic load generated by ground effect made large wings unnecessary.
 |
| RENAULT RS10, Jean-Pierre Jabouille Jarama, Spanish GP 1979 |
What truly captured the attention of insiders, however, was the turbocharged engine designed by Bernard Dudot. The Renault EF1 1.5L V6 Turbo now featured two KKK turbochargers from Kuhnle, Kopp & Kausch, replacing the single Garrett turbo of the previous version. This significantly reduced turbo lag, as the smaller twin turbochargers responded faster than the previous large single turbo. Thanks to the engineering expertise of driver Jean-Pierre Jabouille, Renault also managed to reduce the car’s weight to around 600 kg. Confident in the improved reliability of their car-engine package, the Équipe Renault Elf fielded two cars for the 1979 season. Alongside Jabouille, they introduced rising star René Arnoux, an impulsive and fiery driver, perhaps the perfect qualities to extract the most from the new machine.
RENAULT RS10, Jean-Pierre Jabouille
Dijon-Prenois, French GP 1979
Renault was the revelation of the 1979 season, finishing as the sixth-best team in the championship. By the end of the season, the RS10 Turbo had accumulated 26 points, including three podium finishes in addition to the historic win at Dijon-Prenois. This victory set a new course that all other teams would soon follow, prompting major manufacturers to explore the potential of turbocharging. Soon, every engine builder, some secretly, some openly, began working on turbo technology, reshaping the future of Formula One.
Comments
Post a Comment