RENAULT R26

   In 2006, Renault faced the difficult task of confirming the titles it had won in the previous season with the R25 single-seater, driven by the young Spanish driver Fernando Alonso. Patrick Faure, then president of the Renault F1 Team, confirmed the Italian manager Flavio Briatore as head of the team, which maintained its headquarters in Enstone, Oxfordshire, England. The group of engineers working on the development of the new Renault R26 remained almost unchanged compared to previous seasons: the Northern Irishman from Belfast, Bob Bell, was the Technical Director, supported by the Englishman James Allison as Deputy Technical Director. The Britons Pat Symonds and Tim Densham were respectively the Executive Engineer and Chief Designer, while Martin Tolliday continued in his role as Project Leader. Tad Czapski remained Technology Director, and Robin Tuluie continued as Head of R&D. The crucial position of Head of Aerodynamics was still held by the Italian engineer Dino Toso, who had already made the 2005 R25 one of the most aerodynamically efficient cars on the grid.

RENAULT R26, Giancarlo Fisichella
Hungaroring, Hungarian GP 2006

   The car that emerged from Enstone for the 2006 season was the Renault R26, a very close relative of the previous and successful 2005 R25. Despite the major technical regulation change mandating the use of 2400 cc V8 engines from 2006 onward, Renault’s engineers chose to continue with the same design philosophy that had brought the French team to the top of Formula 1 in recent years. The design of the new V8, however, was entrusted to Rob White (Engine Technical Director), who replaced Renault’s historic designer Bernard Dudot. White already had an impressive background as an engine engineer, having worked at Cosworth since 1987 and having led Cosworth USA’s Californian branch, where V8 engines for IndyCar single-seaters were produced. After returning to the UK, he continued to work for Cosworth, overseeing the Jaguar Racing project before joining Renault in 2004. The V8 RS26, built in Viry-Châtillon, was the jewel of Renault’s motorsport engineering. Its design was based on the V10 RS25, naturally with two fewer cylinders, but the bank angle was widened to 90°, compared to the 72° V10 used in previous seasons. This required a complete redesign of the auxiliary systems, including smaller radiators, to maintain a compact rear end, a key area for aerodynamic performance.

RENAULT R26, Fernando Alonso
Imola, San Marino GP 2006 

   The rest of the car remained largely unchanged, with a monocoque chassis made from aluminum honeycomb composite and carbon fiber, push-rod suspension with carbon-fiber arms, and a titanium gearbox housing a new seven-speed transmission. The flowing lines of the R25 were carried over to the 2006 R26, with a very tight tapering toward the rear diffuser and the usual proliferation of winglets and airflow deflectors along the sidepods. The air outlets were less prominent, thanks to the smaller engine displacement and reduced cooling requirements.

RENAULT R26, Giancarlo Fisichella
Monza, Italian GP 2006 

  Already during the 2005 season, Renault had introduced a special device to dampen front-end vibrations, the famous “mass damper.” Widely used in civil engineering to reduce earthquake effects in skyscrapers, the mass damper was adapted to Formula 1 cars by Renault engineer Rob Marshall. It consisted of a vertically positioned cylinder containing a 9-kilogram disc resting between two springs. The disc could move freely up and down, constrained only by the springs and the damper fluid inside the cylinder. The whole assembly was fixed to the chassis inside the car’s nosecone. The system was tuned for each circuit by adjusting the clearance between the disc and the cylinder bore or modifying the size of the two-way valve inside the disc itself. The R26’s mass damper oscillated in the opposite direction to the chassis due to inertia, and this counteracting force stabilized the car’s front end over kerbs and through slow and fast corners. Keeping the front of the car stable was crucial for aerodynamic efficiency, since variations in ride height, caused by bumps or changes in downforce at different speeds, could alter how air flowed over the front wing and under the car, compromising overall aerodynamic performance. Renault first used this system at the 2005 Brazilian Grand Prix, where it was deemed legal by the stewards. During the first half of the 2006 season, Renault gained a significant advantage over its rivals, leading several teams to request a review of the “mass damper” system. After the German Grand Prix, the device was deemed non-compliant with the regulations, as it was judged to violate the rule stating that no moving part could influence a car’s aerodynamics. The ban hurt Renault more than its competitors (by an estimated 0.5 seconds per lap), as the R26 had been designed around the technology, whereas other teams had only adopted it later. This became evident in the latter part of the season, when Ferrari won five of the remaining seven races.

RENAULT R26, Fernando Alonso
Shanghai, Chinese GP 2006

   The two R26 cars were entrusted to reigning World Champion Fernando Alonso and the Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella, both retained from the previous season. Renault also had four test and reserve drivers (none of whom raced the R26 during 2006 weekends): the Finn Heikki Kovalainen, the Argentine José María López, the Brazilian Nelson Piquet Jr., and the Frenchman Jonathan Cochet. Like its main rival, the Ferrari 248 F1, the Renault R26 was noted for its reliability, Alonso completed the entire championship without ever changing chassis (the R26-03), a car still preserved in Renault’s “Histoire et Collection” heritage museum in Paris. Throughout the season, the R26 achieved eight victories (seven with Alonso and one with Fisichella) and eleven additional podiums, allowing the Spanish driver to retain his World Championship title with 13 points over Michael Schumacher, and securing the Mild Seven Renault F1 Team’s second consecutive Constructors’ Championship with 206 points, just five ahead of Ferrari.