Renault R30
Robert Kubica driving the R30 at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
CategoryFormula One
ConstructorRenault
Designer(s)Bob Bell (Managing Director)
James Allison (Technical Director)
Naoki Tokunaga (Deputy Technical Director)
Tim Densham (Chief Designer)[1]
Martin Tolliday (Project Leader)
Robin Tuluie (Head of R&D)
Jarrod Murphy (Head of CFD)
Dirk de Beer (Head of Aerodynamics)[1]
Mike Elliott (Chief Aerodynamicist)
Rob White (Engine Technical Director)
PredecessorRenault R29
SuccessorRenault R31
Technical specifications[2][3]
ChassisMoulded carbon fibre and aluminium honeycomb composite monocoque, with engine incorporated as a fully stressed member
Suspension (front)Carbon fibre double wishbone, operating inboard torsion bar and damper units via a pushrod system
Suspension (rear)As front
EngineRenault RS27-2010 2,400 cc (146.5 cu in) 90° V8, limited to 18,000 RPM naturally aspirated mid-mounted
TransmissionSeven-speed semi-automatic titanium gearbox with reverse gear "Quickshift" system
Power>750 hp @ 18,000 rpm
Weight620 kg (1,367 lb) (including driver)
FuelTotal
TyresBridgestone Potenza
OZ Wheels (front and rear): 13"
Competition history
Notable entrantsRenault F1 Team
Notable drivers11. Poland Robert Kubica
12. Russia Vitaly Petrov
Debut2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
Last event2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
RacesWinsPodiumsPolesF/Laps
190302

The Renault R30 was a Formula One motor racing car designed and built by Renault for the 2010 season. The car was driven by Robert Kubica and rookie Vitaly Petrov. Test drivers were Ho-Pin Tung, Jérôme d'Ambrosio and Jan Charouz.

It was unveiled on January 31, 2010, at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia.[4]

Design

The chassis was designed by James Allison, Naoki Tokunaga, Tim Densham, Martin Tolliday, Jarrod Murphy, Mike Elliott and Dirk de Beer with Rob White leading the engine design.

At the Belgian Grand Prix, Renault introduced the F-duct on the R30,[5] having been postponed since Silverstone due to inefficiency.[6]

Season summary

Vitaly Petrov retired from the Malaysian Grand Prix with an engine failure; his third consecutive retirement.

It was immediately obvious that the R30 was more competitive than the R29. Robert Kubica enjoyed a string of strong finishes early in the year and Renault established themselves as the main rivals of Mercedes for 4th in the Constructor's Championship. However, Renault had to settle for 5th by season's end but Kubica's and Vitaly Petrov's double-points-finish in the final race of the year capped off what was an encouraging season for the team which struggled so sorely in 2009.

Sponsorship and livery

After the loss of sponsorship with the Dutch banking group ING Group, the car returns to the historic yellow-black livery, used (with some variations) by Renault in Formula 1 up to the RE60 in the 1985 season. The profiles of the spoilers are instead red, hosting the sponsorship of the oil company Total.

The car never presented a title sponsor: in the pre-season tests the livery actually appeared very bare of third-party brands: the only partnership of any importance was the one with the Dutch watchmaker TW Steel, whose logo stood out on the nose and above the radiator openings. Close to the start of the championship, a two-year collaboration agreement was signed with the IT industry HP (whose brand appeared on the fin of the bonnet), while the entry into the share capital of the Genii investment fund team Capital led to the affixing of the relevant logo on the front suspension arms. The presence of the second driver Petrov therefore conveyed the Lada brand, applied to the sides of the front section of the car, while on the sides of the bellies the DIAC logo appeared, a Renault group company specialized in credit for the purchase of motor vehicles.

During the season, the Banka brands SNORAS (which replaced DIAC), EFG International, TrinaSolar and MOVIT also made their entry.

Later uses

The tyre manufacturer Pirelli used the R30 chassis in 2012–2013 as a test car in tyre development replacing the Toyota TF109. The car was tested by Jaime Alguersuari and Lucas di Grassi at several European racetracks, including Jerez, Spa, Monza and Barcelona.

Kimi Räikkönen drove an R30 in Lotus E20 colors in a private test in Valencia on 23 and 24 January 2012.[7]

Other appearances

Vladimir Putin drove the R30 on a circuit around the Russian city of Saint Petersburg around November 2010.[8]

Complete Formula One results

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

Year Entrant Engine Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Points WCC
2010 Renault F1 Team Renault RS27 V8 B BHR AUS MAL CHN ESP MON TUR CAN EUR GBR GER HUN BEL ITA SIN JPN KOR BRA ABU 163 5th
Poland Robert Kubica 11 2 4 5 8 3 6 7 5 Ret 7 Ret 3 8 7 Ret 5 9 5
Russia Vitaly Petrov Ret Ret Ret 7 11 13† 15 17 14 13 10 5 9 13 11 Ret Ret 16 6

† Driver failed to finish the race, but was classified as they had completed >90% of the race distance.

References

  1. 1 2 Cooper, Adam (2010-02-04). "Renault R30". Autosport. Vol. 199, no. 5. pp. 64–67.
  2. ↑ "Renault F1 R30 Technical Specifications". renaultf1.com. Renault F1. Archived from the original on 2010-02-03. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
  3. ↑ "Renault F1 RS27 Technical Specifications". renaultf1.com. Renault F1. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
  4. ↑ Elizalde, Pablo (2010-01-31). "Renault reveals the R30, confirms Petrov". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
  5. ↑ English, Steven; Noble, Jonathan (2010-08-30). "Renault delighted by F-duct performance". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
  6. ↑ "No F-Duct For Renault". PaddockTalk.com. Paddock Talk. 2010-07-08. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
  7. ↑ "Raikkonen hits the track in Spain". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  8. ↑ "Video: Vladimir Putin Drives a Renault Formula 1 Car". Carscoops.com. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
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