RENAULT R29

   Born to tackle the regulatory revolution of 2009, the Renault R29 failed to replicate past successes, marking the beginning of a difficult period for the Enstone-based team in West Oxfordshire, England. The sporting management of the team was still in the hands of Flavio Briatore, who was removed midway through the season along with Pat Symonds following the ruling that found them involved in planning Nelson Piquet Jr.’s crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix (Crashgate). The team’s technical staff included legendary figures who had won the 2005 and 2006 championships, but in this season found themselves dealing with a poorly conceived car, as well as one of the biggest scandals in the history of the sport.

RENAULT R29, Fernando Alonso
Hungaroring, Hungarian GP 2009

   Bob Bell (Technical Director) led the entire R29 project. A highly experienced engineer, Bell was responsible for coordinating the various departments (chassis, aerodynamics, simulation). After the Crashgate scandal broke and top management was removed, Bob Bell also took on the role of interim Team Principal, guiding the team through one of the darkest moments in its history. Pat Symonds (Executive Engineer) was one of the brightest minds in modern Formula 1 (previously a race engineer for Senna and Schumacher). In 2009, he was a key figure for strategy and technical development. However, his career at Renault ended abruptly in September 2009, when he was banned (a ruling later overturned) by the FIA due to Crashgate. James Allison (Deputy Technical Director) was a rising star (future Technical Director of Ferrari and Mercedes). Allison was mainly responsible for chassis design and system integration, tasked with managing the difficult challenge of integrating KERS into a chassis that also had to accommodate the new double diffuser developed during the season. Other key figures included Tim Densham (Chief Designer), Martin Tolliday (Deputy Chief Designer), Tad Czapski (Technology Director), Robin Tuluie (Head of R&D), and Rémi Taffin (Chief Track Engineer). The year 2009 was also a painful transition following the departure of Dino Toso, the historic head of aerodynamics behind the 2005/06 successes, who had left the team in 2008 and passed away prematurely shortly thereafter. The R29 was the first car entirely shaped by the new aerodynamic leadership, with Dirk de Beer and David Wheater (Head of Aerodynamics and Deputy respectively), who, however, failed to correctly interpret the new regulations. In Viry-Châtillon, France, Rob White (Engine Technical Director) and Axel Plasse (Engine Project Manager) worked on developing the Renault V8 engine, joined by Japanese engineer Naoki Tokunaga for KERS development.

RENAULT R29, Fernando Alonso
Melbourne, Australian GP 2009

   The R29 is remembered for its unusual aesthetics, featuring an extremely wide and flat nose (nicknamed the “duckbill”), designed to maximize airflow toward the car’s floor. However, besides being visually ungainly, it was also aerodynamically less efficient than its competitors. The decision to create a high-pressure area above the nose and channel a constant mass of air toward the simplified side flow deflectors proved flawed, as it increased the frontal area, worsening drag and making the car highly sensitive to crosswinds. Moreover, the car struggled significantly to transfer aerodynamic load to the front axle, leading to chronic understeer issues. The bulky sidepods, required to house the KERS cooling radiators, and the presence of a conventional diffuser, far less efficient at generating downforce from the underbody, further reduced competitiveness. The team had to redesign the entire rear section during the season to integrate a version of the double diffuser, but the adaptation was never perfect since the gearbox and rear suspension had been designed for a different configuration. In addition to large cooling outlets to dissipate high temperatures, the R29 also featured a prominent engine cover “shark fin” to stabilize airflow toward the rear wing during cornering, compensating for instability generated by the wide nose.

RENAULT R29, Fernando Alonso
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgian GP 2009

   Beneath its bodywork, the R29 hid a refined mechanical package, constantly compromised by aerodynamic choices and the weight of the first hybrid system. The new chassis with a more forward driver position, the front suspension with aerodynamically shaped wishbones to try to correct turbulent airflow generated by the flat “big nose,” the rear suspension with a very compact geometry to allow airflow toward the rear wing, the Renault RS27 V8, considered one of the best in terms of drivability and fuel consumption, and the quickshift gearbox with a titanium and carbon casing made the R29 mechanically sophisticated. However, Renault’s major gamble in 2009 was the new KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), whose integration into the R29 proved particularly complex and drastically affected the car’s dynamics. Its excessive weight (30–40 kg) caused severe balance issues, preventing the use of ballast, while the enormous heat generated forced engineers to redesign the sidepods, compromising aerodynamic efficiency.

RENAULT R29, Fernando Alonso
Interlagos, Brazilian GP 2009 

   The drivers for 2009 were Spaniard Fernando Alonso and Brazilian Nelson Piquet Jr. (replaced during the season by young Frenchman Romain Grosjean). Despite having a two-time World Champion like Alonso, the car was one of the biggest disappointments of the season, going from a potential title contender to a midfield presence. The car was often faster over a single lap than in race pace. Alonso frequently managed to reach Q3 (the final phase of qualifying), but in races, tire degradation, caused by poor aerodynamic balance, and the weight of the KERS caused the car to slip back into the midfield. Alonso’s seven finishes (never higher than fifth) in the first thirteen races reflected the team’s situation in 2009. Ironically, the best result (third place in Singapore) came just as the FIA issued its ruling on the 2008 Crashgate. From that point on, Renault halted all development on the car, and the season ended disappointingly, with only 26 points and eighth place in the Constructors’ Championship. In conclusion, the R29 is remembered as a “poorly born” car that forced Alonso into a defensive season and marked the end of Renault’s era as a top works team, before its partial sale to Genii Capital in 2010.