Formula Renault is a class of formula racing founded in 1971.[1] It is popular in Europe and other countries. Regarded as an entry-level series to motor racing, it is a respected series where drivers can learn advanced racecraft before moving on to Formula Three, World Series by Renault, GP2 or Formula One.
Renault now backs several one-make single-seater series; it is essential to distinguish Formula Renault 1.6, Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula Renault 3.5. The GP2 Series is also powered by Renault-badged engines but is not considered part of the Renault driver development programme.
At the end of each racing season, Renault Sport give the opportunity to the best Formula Renault 2.0 drivers to try the 3.5L car at Circuit Paul Ricard.[2]
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The most senior 'Formula Renault' was the Formula Renault V6 Eurocup started by Renault to run as part of Eurosport's Super Racing Weekends (ETCC and FIA GT Championship). Only two seasons were run between 2003 and 2004 before Renault left Super Racing Weekends and merged the series with the similar World Series by Nissan to create the Formula Renault 3.5 Series as part of the World Series by Renault in 2005.
Formula V6 Asia started in 2006 in Asia and ran at Asian Festival of Speed Weekends (Touring Car, Formula BMW and Porsche Carrera Cup Asia).
The old Eurocup and current Asian formulas use Tatuus chassis, while the World Series uses Dallara cars. Michelin is the tyre supplier.
| Formula Renault 3.5L official championships | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone/Country | Last official series name | Active years | Tyres | Complementary information | |
| Europe | World Series by Nissan | 1998–2004 | M | Replaced by Formula Renault 3.5 Series. | |
| Formula Renault V6 Eurocup | 2003–2004 | M | Replaced by Formula Renault 3.5 Series. | ||
| Formula Renault 3.5 Series (part of World Series by Renault) | since 2005 | M | Replaced World Series by Nissan and Formula Renault V6 Eurocup. | ||
| Asia | Formula V6 Asia | 2006–2009 | M | ||
A Pan Am Formula Renault V6 series was planned to take place in 2005 but it never occurred.[3]
* Only white square represent held championships.
Formula Renault 2.0 descends from Formula France created in 1968. Its predecessors used 1.3L (1968–1971), 1.6l (1972–1981), 1.6L turbo (1982–1988) and later 1,721 cc (1989–1994), then 2l 8V (1995–1999) engines in single-seater chassis. The series evolved in 2000 into a 2L 16V series using one-make cars from Italian manufacturer Tatuus. The series was introduced into the UK in 1989 and even after the 1721 cc cars had been replaced at the top level a club-level series for them continued in parallel with the more ambitious 2.0 series. This is seen as one of the key steps in a driver's career before Formula Three.
The most notable recent graduate of the formula is Kimi Räikkönen, who moved straight into Formula One after winning the British Formula Renault championship.
The cars are open-wheelers, with Tatuus-made chassis running 2.0 L Renault Clio engines attached to a Sadev gearbox.[4] They are capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 mph (160 km/h) in 4.85 seconds and braking from 125 mph (200 km/h) to a stop in 4.60 seconds.[5] The Tatuus Formula Renault car is the most successful single seater ever, with 10 years of service and nearly 1000 sold. The car has produced many current Formula one stars, with 11 of the 25 drivers in the 2009 Formula One season using the car in the infancy of their careers.
For the 2010 season, a new car developed by Barazi-Epsilon, will be used in most major championships, with the old car still being used in minor championships such as Formula Renault BARC in the UK
The chassis is a carbon fiber cell designed and developed by Tatuus and Renault Sport. It also incorporates a FIA-approved roll hoop and lateral driver's head protection. This was introduced in 2000 and updated with new bodywork in 2004 and 2007. Both the chassis and engine are of an FIA-approved 'impact break-away' design.
The engine is a sealed, 16-valve, 4-cylinder Renault Sport type F4R FRS with Orbisoud race exhaust system and catalytic converter, built and developed by Renault Sport.
Formula Renault uses a Sadev 6-speed, sequential gearbox with mechanical control featuring three specified sets of ratios using a Limited Slip Differential and Twin-Plate. The clutch is hydraulic. It also uses Elf Transmission LS.
The brakes are four-pot calipers, with ventilated discs and Ferodo(type DS4003) pads. They include cockpit-adjustable bias front-to-rear.
Two sorts of Formula Renault 2.0 championships exist. Regular championships and Winter Series, an off-season championship held usually between November and February with few races. In 2005, all series names were replaced from Formula Renault 2000 to Formula Renault 2.0.
An Uruguyan 2.0L series is also held (José Pedro Passadores 2003 champion).[6]
A majority of Formula Renault champions have gone onto lead successful careers in motor racing, most notably Alain Prost who won the Formula One World Championship four times in his career. Other drivers include René Arnoux, Didier Pironi, Kimi Räikkönen, Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton all of which have gone onto win Grands Prix.
This Formula Renault series is open to drivers between 14 and 21 years than have raced before in karting series.[9]
The cars use K4M 1598cc Renault engines.
| Formula Renault 1.6L official championships | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | |||||
| Zone/Country | Last official series name | Active years | Tyres | Complementary information | |
| Belgium | Formula Renault 1.6 Belgium | 2003–2007 | M | Former name: Formula Renault 1600 Belgium. Reguled by the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium | |
| France | F4 Eurocup 1.6 (part of World Series by Renault) | since 1993 | M | Former names: Championnat de France FFSA Formule Campus Renault Elf, Formul'Academy Euro Series. The series is managed by La Filière Elf since 1993, La Filière FFSA since 2001 and by the Auto Sport Academy based near the Circuit Bugatti in Le Mans since 2008. | |
| Italy | Formula Junior 1.6 powered by Renault | 2002–2006 | M | Former name: Formula Junior 1600 by Renault. In 2007, it was replaced by Formula Monza 1.6 and 1.2 powered by Fiat engine. | |
| Spain | Formula Renault 1.6 Spain | 2002–2004 | M | Former name: Formula Junior 1600 Spain | |
| America | |||||
| Zone/Country | Last official series name | Active years | Tyres | Complementary information | |
| Argentina | Formula Renault Elf 1.6 Argentina | since 1980 | M | The formulas use differents chssis like Crespi Tulia XXV, and Tito 01. The races are held during the TC 2000 since 2001. | |
| Latin America | Formula Junior 1600 | 2005–2007 | M | ||
| North America | North American Fran Am 1600 Pro Championship | 2002–2003 | M | Replaced by Formula TR 1600 Pro Series | |
| Formula TR 1600 Pro Series | 2004–2007 | Y | Held on west coast only. | ||
| Formula Renault 1.6L championships winners | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Argentina[10] | France[11] | Belgium[12] | Italy[13] | Latin America[14] | North America[12] | Spain[12] | ||
| 2010 | Nicolás Trosset | Stoffel Vandoorne | |||||||
| 2009 | Facundo Ardusso | Benjamin Bailly | |||||||
| 2008 | Guido Falaschi | Arthur Pic | |||||||
| 2007 | Mariano Werner | Jean-Éric Vergne | Karline Stala | Gerardo Nieto | Ryan Booth | ||||
| 2006 | Mariano Werner | Kevin Estre | Craig Dolby | Augusto Scalbi | Juan Esteban Jacobo | Parker Kligerman | |||
| 2005 | Lucas Benamo | Jean Karl Vernay | Pierre Sevrin | Pasquale Di Sabatino | Alfonso Toledano Jr. | Carl Skerlong | |||
| 2004 | Ezequiel Bosio | Jacky Ferré | Maxime Soulet | Michael Herck | Marco Andretti | Michael Herck | |||
| 2003 | Maximiliano Merlino | Laurent Groppi | Jérôme d'Ambrosio | Marino Spinozzi Domenico Capuano |
Colin Braun[15] | Juan Antonio del Pino | |||
| 2002 | Rafael Morgenstern | Loïc Duval | Barbieri | Tim Barber[16] | Adrián Vallés | ||||
| 2001 | Rafael Morgenstern | Bruce Lorgeré-Roux | |||||||
| 2000 | Esteban Guerrieri | Stéphane Morat | |||||||
| 1999 | Mariano Acebal | Adam Jones | |||||||
| 1998 | Gabriel Ponce de León | Westley Barber | |||||||
| 1997 | Mauro Fartuszek | Marcel Costa | |||||||
| 1996 | Martín Basso | Philippe Benoliel | |||||||
| 1995 | Brian Smith | Renaud Malinconi | |||||||
| 1994 | Guillermo Di Giacinti | Franck Montagny | |||||||
| 1993 | Juan Manuel Silva | Sébastien Philippe | |||||||
| 1992 | Norberto Della Santina | ||||||||
| 1991 | Omar Martinez | ||||||||
| 1990 | Omar Martinez | ||||||||
| 1989 | Sergio Solmi | ||||||||
| 1988 | Luis Belloso | ||||||||
| 1987 | Daniel Neviani | ||||||||
| 1986 | Gabriel Furlán | ||||||||
| 1985 | Miguel Angel Etchegaray | ||||||||
| 1984 | Néstor Gurini | ||||||||
| 1983 | Néstor Gurini | ||||||||
| 1982 | Roberto Urretavizcaya | ||||||||
| 1981 | Carlos Lauricella | ||||||||
| 1980 | Victor Rosso | ||||||||
| Formulas Renault 1.6L timeline | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | |
| Argentina | Formula Renault Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| France | Formula Campus Renault La Filière Elf |
Formula Campus Renault La Filière FFSA |
Formul' Academy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North America | Fran Am 1600 Pro | Formula TR 1600 Pro Series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Italy | FJ 1600 by Renault |
Formula Junior 1.6 by Renault | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spain | FJ 1600 Spain | FR 1.6 Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Belgium | FR 1600 Belgium | FR 1.6 Belgium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Latin America | Formula Junior 1600 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | |
| 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Renault has been the supplier of all engines in the GP2, GP2 Asia and GP3 championships since their series debuts.
Argentina organises several Formula Renault championships different from its official 1.6L series:
In 2008, the Formula 2000 Light was created.[21] The series is held in Italy with Tatuus's Formula Renault or Formula Three chassis. The same year also saw the introduction of the LATAM Challenge Series, run in Latin America. The Austria Formel Renault Cup has been held since 2007 in Central Europe.[22] This series is held and organised with the Austria Formula 3 Cup and use the 2.0L Renault formulas. The Formule Renault 2.0 North European Zone was also introduced in 2008.
2008 was the first, and ultimately last, season of the Formula Asia 2.0. Its aim was to bring more racing to the Asian region, allowing more drivers to opportunity to race and make the step up to the next level. The series used Renault engines with constructor Tatuus and ran on Michelin provided tyres.
For GP Series winners, see GP2 Series, GP2 Asia Series and GP3 Series pages.
| Other formulas powered by Renault championships winners | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Austria Formel Renault Cup |
Formule Renault 2.0 North European Zone |
Formula 2000 Light |
Formula Asia 2.0 |
Fórmula Super Renault/ Renault Plus |
Fórmula 4 Metropolitana/ Nacional |
Fórmula Interprovencial |
LATAM Challenge Series |
||
| 2010 | Grégory Striebig | Daniel Roos | TBA TBA |
TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
| 2009 | Vanaselja Tönis | Felix Rosenqvist | Thiemo Storz (1) Francisco Weiler |
not held | Alan Castellano | Emiliano González | Darío Elisei | André Solano | ||
| 2008 | Grégory Striebig | Jesse Krohn | Mario Bertolotti Martin Scuncio |
Felix Rosenqvist | Mario Gerbaldo | Alan Castellano | Fabricio Fernandez | Giancarlo Serenelli | ||
| 2007 | Grégory Striebig | not held | not held | not held | Esteban Sarry | Francesco Troncoso (N) | Alejandro Pancello | not held | ||
| 2006 | not held | Eric Borsini[23] | not held | not held | ||||||
| 2005 | not held [20] | |||||||||
| 2004 | Ivo Perabó[24] | |||||||||
| 2003 | Federico Lifschitz[25] | |||||||||
| 2002 | Matías Rossi[26] | |||||||||
| 2001 | ? | |||||||||
| 2000 | ? | |||||||||
| 1999 | ? | |||||||||
| 1998 | ? | |||||||||
| 1997 | Christian Ledesma | |||||||||
|
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