Formula Renault are classes of

formula racing Formula racing (known as open-wheel racing in North America) is any of several forms of open-wheeled single-seater motorsport. The origin of the term lies in the nomenclature that was adopted by the FIA for all of its post-World War II single ...

popular in Europe and elsewhere. Regarded as an entry-level series to

motor racing Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of tw ...

, it was founded in 1971, and was a respected series where drivers can learn advanced racecraft before moving on to higher formulas. Formula Renault at Silverstone 2008

Renault now backs the French F4 Championship and Formula Regional European Championship. The World Series by Renault once included Formula Renault 3.5 before becoming World Series Formula V8 3.5 in 2016, then folding in 2017.

Formula Renault 3.5L

The most senior "Formula Renault" was the Formula Renault V6 Eurocup started by

Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufacture ...

to run as part of Eurosport's Super Racing Weekends (

ETCC The European Touring Car Championship was an international touring car racing series organised by the FIA. It had two incarnations, the first one between 1963 and 1988, and the second between 2000 and 2004. In 2005 it was superseded by the World T ...

and FIA GT Championship). Only two seasons were run between

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, disintegrated during reentry into Atmosphere of Earth, Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an 2002– ...

and

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

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 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris (dwarf planet), Er ...

. In 2016 the series became the World Series Formula V8 3.5, which folded in 2017. 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 Michelin (; ; full name: ) is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes '' région'' of France. It is the second largest tyre manufacturer in the world behind Bridgestone and ...

is the tyre supplier.

The cars

* Engine:

Type V4Y RS, 60° V6, 3498 cc, 425-500 hp - since 2012 Zytek ZRS03 V8, 3396 cc, 530 hp * Chassis: Tatuus (Eurocup and Asia) or Dallara T02/T05/T08/T12 (World Series) Carbon-fibre Monocoque, carbon and fibreglass bodywork * Width: 1850 mm (72.8") maximum * Wheelbase: 3000–3125 mm * Track: 1579 mm (front) and 1536 mm (rear) * Weight: 616 kg * Fuel: 110 litres * Suspension front and rear with torsion bar, push-rod, twin struts * Telemetry, and

steering wheel A steering wheel (also called a driving wheel (UK), a hand wheel, or simply wheel) is a type of steering control in vehicles. Steering wheels are used in most modern land vehicles, including all mass-production automobiles, buses, light and ...

* Sequential gearbox, six gears * Wheels: Single piece magnesium with central nut, 10 x 13 (front) and 13 x 13 (rear) * Tyres:

dry and rain, 24 x 57 x 13 (front) and 31 x 60 x 13 (rear)

Championships

A Pan Am Formula Renault V6 series was planned to take place in 2005 but it never occurred.

Formula Renault 2.0

Formula Renault 2.0 descended 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 Formula Three, also called Formula 3, abbreviated as F3, is a third-tier class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One dr ...

. The most notable recent graduate of the formula is Kimi Räikkönen, who moved straight into

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship ...

after winning the British Formula Renault championship.

The cars

1995–1999

The Formula Renault 95 used multiple chassis, production 2.0-litre 8V 165 hp engines and

Hewland Hewland is a British engineering company, founded in 1957 by Mike Hewland, which specialises in racing-car gearboxes. Hewland currently employ 130 people at their Maidenhead facility and have diversified into a variety of markets being particul ...

five-speed manual gearboxes. Manufacturers were able to build cars around spec components such as the engine, bellhousing, gearbox, brakes, wheels and ECU. Chassis were steel space frame with fibreglass bodies. Manufacturers included Mygale, Martini, Swift, Tatuus, and Ermolli. The car was last used in 1999.

2000–2009

The Formula Renault 2000 had a Tatuus-made chassis running 2.0 L Renault Clio engines attached to a Sadev gearbox. The engine originally had a maximum output of 185 hp, and was upgraded to 210 hp in 2006. 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. 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

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 Barazi-Epsilon is a racing team owned by engineer Michel Lecomte and entrepreneur turned amateur racer Juan Barazi. The team's base is in Le Mans. The team was founded in 2000 as Epsilon Sport from the remains of the Graff Racing's Formula Three o ...

, 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.

= Dimensions and weight

= :''Wheel Base'': 2,645 mm :''Front Track'': 1,434 mm :''Rear Track'': 1,318 mm :''Minimum Weight'': 490 kg without driver / 565 kg with driver

= Chassis

= 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.

= Cockpit

= : XAP Multi-Changeable Dashboard Display : FIA-approved Safety Features : Roll Hoop and Lateral Driver's Head Protective Padding : Deformable, double-jointed steering column : Removable steering wheel : Six-point, 3-inch driver's shoulder and lap harnesses : FT3 fuel cell : Manually operated 5 kg fire extinguisher

= Engine

= 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. :''Capacity'': 1998 cc :''Max Output'': at 6,500 rpm :''Max Torque'': 22mkg (159lb.ft) at 5,500 rpm :''Lubrication'': Dry Sump, Elf Evolution LDX 5w/40 :''Spark Plugs'':

NGK is a public company established in 1936 and based in Nagoya, Japan. NGK SPARK PLUG manufactures and sells spark plugs and related products for internal combustion engines, as well as sensors and ceramics for a wide range of applications. NGK stan ...

PFR6E10 :''ECU'': Sealed Magneti-Marelli MF4L ignition system

= Gearbox

= 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.

= Suspension

= :''Front'': Pushrod, controlled single damper with adjustable bump and rebound :''Rear'': Pushrod, controlled twin dampers with adjustable bump and rebound

= Brake

= The brakes are four-pot calipers, with ventilated discs and Ferodo(type DS4003) pads. They include cockpit-adjustable bias front-to-rear.

= Tyres

= :''Front'': 16/53 x :''Rear'': 23/57 x :''Manufacturer'':

control :Exceptions :''Asia'': Kumho (since 2002) :''Brazil'': Pirelli (2002–2006) :''North America'':

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of ...

(since 2004)

= Wheels

= :''Front'': 8 inches x :''Rear'': 10 inches x :''Manufacturer'': OZ

2010–today

Manufactured by

EB01 A Main changes to the previous models are: *Engine: 2.0L Renault F4R 832 - maximal output has been raised to *Gearbox is now 7-speed sequential

Championships

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).

Winners

A majority of Formula Renault champions have gone onto lead successful careers in motor racing, most notably

Alain Prost Alain Marie Pascal Prost (; born 24 February 1955) is a French retired racing driver and Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing ...

who won the

World Championship four times in his career. Other drivers include René Arnoux, Didier Pironi, Kimi Räikkönen,

Felipe Massa Felipe Massa (, born 25 April 1981) is a Brazilian racing driver. He competed in 15 seasons of Formula One between 2002 and 2017, where he scored 11 Grand Prix victories, 41 podiums and finished as championship runner-up in 2008 by one poi ...

and

Lewis Hamilton Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Mercedes. In Formula One, Hamilton has won a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles (tied with Mic ...

all of whom have gone onto win Grands Prix.

Formula Renault 2.0L timeline

Formula Renault 1.6L

This Formula Renault series was open to drivers between 14 and 21 years that have raced before in

karting Kart racing or karting is a road racing variant of motorsport with open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on fu ...

series.

The cars

The cars use K4M 1598cc

engines.

Championships

Winners

*In Belgium 2007 championship,

Karline Stala Karline is a German feminine given name that is an alternate form of Karla. Notable people known by this name include the following: Given name * Karlīne Nīmane (born 1990) Latvian basketball player *Karlīne Štāla (born 1986) Latvian race car ...

was the first ever woman to win a single seaters championship. She was invited to test the Formula Renault 3.5L at

Circuit Paul Ricard The Circuit Paul Ricard () is a French motorsport race track built in 1969 at Le Castellet, Var, near Marseille, with finance from pastis magnate Paul Ricard. Ricard wanted to experience the challenge of building a racetrack. The circuit ha ...

in November 2007, like the best 2.0L and 3.5L drivers.

Formula Renault 1.6L timeline

Other formulas powered by Renault

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...

organises several Formula Renault championships different from its official 2.0L series: * ''Fórmula Renault Plus'' (since 2007) with Renault Clio K4M engine (1598cc). * ''Fórmula Renault Interprovincial'' (since 2007) with 1.397 cc engine from Renault 12 T.S Break. * ''Fórmula 4 Nacional'' (in

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto ...

) with Renault K4M engine (1598cc) with lower power than the official 1.6L series. Teams can choose chassis manufacturer. Races are held during the TC 2000 weekends. * ''Fórmula 4 Metropolitana'' (since 2008 season) with Renault K4M engine (1598cc) and replacing the Fórmula 4 Nacional series. Teams can choose chassis manufacturer. * ''Fórmula Super Renault'' with Dallara,

Reynard Reynard the Fox is a literary cycle of medieval allegorical Dutch, English, French and German fables. The first extant versions of the cycle date from the second half of the 12th century. The genre was popular throughout the Late Middle Ages, ...

, Ralt or TOM'S chassis and Renault 21, 18 or F3R 2.0L engine. In 2005, the championship wasn't held due to the low of participation.En el 2005 no habra Super Renault
''autonoticias.com.ar'' (28 December 2004) In 2008, the ''Formula 2000 Light'' was created. The series is held in Italy with Tatuus's Formula Renault or

chassis. The same year also saw the introduction of the '' LATAM Challenge Series'', run in

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived ...

. The ''Austria Formel Renault Cup'' has been held since

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the ...

.Historie
''austriaf3cup.com'' 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

engines with constructor Tatuus and ran on

provided tyres.

Winners

For GP Series winners, see GP2 Series, GP2 Asia Series and GP3 Series pages.

References

External links

*
Renault Sport