Renault Sport

History

Renault Sport was created at the end of 1976, when Renault closed down the Alpine competition department (at that time, its main motorsport division), located at Dieppe, and moved all the racing activities to the Gordini factory at Viry-Châtillon, just outside Paris. The Dieppe-based Alpine department specialised in the construction of race car chassis while the Viry-Châtillon-based Gordini focussed on engines. However, several conflicts emerged between them, and Renault took the decision to unify both departments into a single location in order to achieve a greater integration and harmony. The company concentrated principally on developing a car for Formula One, although it also participated in other series.

In 2002, the Viry-Châtillon factory became the engine department of the Renault F1 team and Renault Sport was moved to Les Ulis and renamed Renault Sport Technologies (RST).

On 3 February 2016, Renault announced a reorganisation of its racing and performance activities. The Formula One operation and RST's former motorsport branch were put under the new Renault Sport Racing division. RST's former roadcar branch at Les Ulis became the Renault Sport Cars division.

In January 2021, the Alpine company announced it would absorb both Renault Sport Racing and Renault Sport Cars to form an Alpine business unit. The Renault Sport range, under Alpine, is slowly being phased out. The final new Renault Sport-badged car, the Megane Renault Sport Ultime (a variant of the fourth-generation Megane model) introduced in early 2023, was set to cease production in late 2023.

Rallying

Gordini-tuned Renault cars won many rallies during the 1950s and 1960s, and Alpine, being a subsidiary of Renault, won the first World Rally Championship (WRC) in 1973. In the WRC, Renault had some success with cars such as the R5 Turbo and the R17 Gordini until it left international rallying in late 1994 (although it continued competing in national and promotional rally series).

The European Rally Championship was won three times by a Renault car (1999, 2004, 2005).

On 21 February 2013, Renault Sport Technologies announced its official return to international rallying in the European Rally Championship.

Renault's WRC summary

† Without Renault Sport assistance.

JWRC

Off-roading

In 1979, the Marreau brothers finished in second place in the cars category at the Rally Dakar driving a Sinpar-prepared 4L 4x4. They won the 1982 edition with a Renault Sport backed Renault 20 Turbo 4x4. Later, Renault Sport powered and sponsored the Schlesser-Renault Elf buggies which won the 1999 and 2000 editions. The 1999 car was the first two-wheel drive Dakar winner.

Formula E

Renault was one of the first car manufacturers involved in the Formula E (FE) championship. For the inaugural season, Renault Sport became a technical partner of the series, also agreeing a title sponsorship deal with the e.dams team which achieved the first FE teams' championship. For the 2016–17 season, Renault added the Chinese team Techeetah as a powertrain client. In October 2017, Renault Sport Racing announced it would withdraw from FE at the end of the 2017–18 season.

Results of Renault Sport as a powertrain supplier

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position, results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Formula One

Main article: Renault in Formula One

From 1977 to 1986 and again between 1989 and 1997, Renault Sport was in charge of Renault's Formula One programme. Renault Sport F1, created at the end of 2010 and active until 2015, was a subsequent incarnation of Renault's involvement in Formula One and was headquartered in Viry-Châtillon, which functioned as a semi-independent operation. In 2016, the Formula One operation became part of Renault Sport Racing.

Formula Two

Alpine constructed various chassis and prepared engines for Formula Two (F2). In 1973, Renault-Gordini (later Renault Sport) introduced a two-litre V6 engine for F2, the CH, which was the basis of its future Le Mans and F1 engines. Jean-Pierre Jabouille and René Arnoux won the 1976 and 1977 European Formula Two Championships with Renault-powered cars.

Results of Renault Sport as an engine supplier

1976

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

1977

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Note: During this season Scuderia Everest also entered Renault-powered cars, although those were not supplied by Renault Sport.

Formula Three

Gordini and Alpine-tuned Renault engines were used in various Formula Three (F3) series since the 1960s. Alpine (a partially owned subsidiary of Renault since 1973) also developed cars for the category.

Renault Sport Technologies announced its return to F3 as an engine supplier with Oreca again as engine tuner for the 2014 FIA European Formula Three Championship. However, this was indefinitely halted because of the lack of power of the Oreca-tuned engine compared to rivals.

Sportscars

Renault Sport was responsible for Renault's sports car racing entries during the 1970s, including their win at the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans race with the Renault Alpine A442.

Touring cars

Capitalising on the growing reputation and success of the Super Touring regulations introduced in the early 1990s, Renault made the decision to enter the British Touring Car Championship in 1993 with reigning champion Tim Harvey and Alain Menu signed as their drivers. Renault's first BTCC effort was based on the Renault 19 chassis, initially developed by test driver Jean Ragnotti. Success was almost immediate as Harvey and Menu scored a win each in 1993, before the 19 was replaced with the new Renault Laguna for 1994. The Laguna lent itself as a more competitive proposition than its predecessor and went on to be a highly successful car throughout its racing life, the highlight being in 1997 when Alain Menu took 12 victories on his way to the championship.

Hillclimbing

In 2011, a Dacia Duster car prepared for Renault Sport Technologies, Sodemo and Tork Engineering and fitted with a Nissan GT-R engine participated at the Pike's Peak hillclimbing.

Car manufacturing

In 1994, Renault discontinued the Alpine marque, badging since then its sport cars manufactured at the Dieppe factory as Renault Sport, beginning with the Renault Sport Spider in 1996. The production of Renault Sport cars for the mainstream markets at Dieppe ended in 2018. Renault Sport models are also produced at Renault Spain's Palencia factory (Mégane Renault Sport).

Former models

• Spider (1996–1999)
• Clio Renault Sport (1998–2018)
• Twingo GT (2016–2019)
• [[File:Renault Sport Spider (Sp 2014-06-15).JPG|thumb|Renault Sport Spider]]Twingo Renault Sport (2011–2013)
• [[File:Renault Mégane RS Trophy-R (51173847157).jpg|thumb|Renault Megane RS Trophy-R]]Sandero RS (2015–2021; only South America)
• Clio GT/RS Line (2013–2023)
• Megane GT/RS Line (2010–2023)
• Megane Renault Sport (2004–2023)
• Arkana RS Line (2021–2023)
• Captur RS Line (2021–2023)

Divisions

Renault Sport is in charge of the conception and manufacturing of the Gordini-badged sport cars and also of modifying cars and vans for special purposes (transporting people with reduced mobility, driving school cars, business fleets) through its division Renault Tech.

Sites

• Les Ulis (car development, management)
• Viry-Châtillon (racing car development, marketing)

Activities

• Manufacturer of limited edition sport and special purpose models
• Competitor in motorsport events, for example:
  • Rallying
  • Organisation of single-model vehicle championships
• Organiser or/and sponsor of the Formula Renault national and international championships
• Organiser of the Renault Sport Series on circuits
• Former shareholder in SMA Engines; an aircraft engine manufacturer, an alliance of RST, EADS and SAFRAN

Championships

Renault Sport organises several national and international one-make racing championships.

• Formula Renault 2.0L and 1.6L
• Renault Clio Cup
• Dacia Logan Cup

International

Many international subsidiaries of Renault have their own Renault Sport division, including Renault UK, Renault Argentina, Renault Spain and Renault Italy, among others.

Renault in motorsport

Renault is also involved in other racing series but not as Renault Sport.

• Renault Clio
  • French Super Production Championship
  • Belgian Procar Championship
  • BTCC with Renault Laguna Williams
  • Endurance Touring Car Series
• Renault Mégane/Renault Fluence
  • TC2000 Argentina (1984–2011, currently the participation is in charge of the local Renault Sport branch).
• Renault Spider:
  • Spanish GT Championship (1999?–2000?)
• Renault 8 Gordini:
  • Springbok Series (1966–1971)
• Renault 4CV
  • 24 hours of Le Mans (1949–1954)
  • Renault Alpine A110: In 1971 Alpine achieved a 1–2–3 finish in the Monte Carlo rally, using cars with engines derived from the Renault 16. In 1973, they repeated the 1–2–3 Monte Carlo result and went on to win the World Rally championship outright.

References

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