The End of Renault Engines in Formula 1
With Renault withdrawing from Formula 1 as an engine supplier, one of the sport’s longest-running power unit legacies comes to a close. The French manufacturer has been part of F1’s technological landscape for more than four decades, contributing to some of the grid’s most successful eras and powering multiple champions.
A Long History of Innovation
Renault joined Formula 1 in 1977 as a factory team and introduced the first modern turbocharged engine, changing the direction of the sport completely. Over the next decades, Renault engines powered championship-winning cars from multiple teams, including Williams, Benetton, and Red Bull.
Key Statistics
- First race as an engine supplier: 1977 British Grand Prix
- First victory: 1979 French Grand Prix
- Total wins as an engine manufacturer: more than 170
- Constructors’ Championships powered: 11
- Drivers’ Championships powered: 12
Renault’s most dominant periods came in the 1990s with Williams and Benetton, and again in the early 2010s when the manufacturer supplied Red Bull during its four consecutive championship seasons with Sebastian Vettel.
