The Formula Renault 3.5 was a motor racing series promoted by Renault Sport from 2005 to 2015, the top class of the World Series by Renault. It grew out of the World Series by Nissan, and after Renault withdrew its backing it ran as the Formula V8 3.5 and then the World Series Formula V8 3.5 before folding in 2017.
Formula Renault 3.5 at a glance
| Run | 2005–2015 as Formula Renault 3.5 |
|---|---|
| Promoter | Renault Sport, inside the World Series by Renault |
| Predecessor | World Series by Nissan (1998–2004) |
| Chassis | Dallara T02, T05, T08, then T12 from 2012 |
| Engine 2008–2011 | 3.5-litre Nissan VQ35 V6, 480 hp |
| Engine from 2012 | 3.4-litre Zytek V8, 530 hp at 9,250 rpm |
| Gearbox | six-speed semi-automatic by Ricardo, paddle shift |
| Weight | 600 kg dry (2008–2011), 623 kg later |
| Later names | Formula V8 3.5 (2016), World Series Formula V8 3.5 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the World Series Formula V8 3.5.
History of the Formula Renault 3.5
From the Spanish championship
The series came out of the Spanish Formula Renault Championship, which ran from 1991 to 1997. The World Series was founded as Open Fortuna by Nissan in 1998, mostly based in Spain but visiting France, Italy, Portugal and Brazil, and organised by RPM Comunicacion. Its early cars used Coloni chassis with a two-litre Nissan SR20 engine of 250 bhp, slotting between Formula Three and Formula 3000; in 2002 it moved to Dallara chassis and the VQ30 engine and became more international, with more than half the calendar outside Spain.
Renault takes over
Renault had started its own Formula Renault V6 Eurocup in 2003 with Tatuus chassis and a Nissan 3.5-litre V6. In 2005 it left the Super Racing Weekend and started the World Series by Renault and the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, merging the World Series by Nissan, whose engine contract had finished, with the V6 Eurocup. The Dallara chassis was kept and the V6 was improved to 425 PS. The Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup and the Eurocup Mégane Trophy joined as support races.
The cars
From 2008 to 2011 the car was the Dallara T08 with a 3.5-litre Nissan VQ35 V6 of 480 bhp and an 8,500 rpm limit, a six-speed semi-automatic Ricardo gearbox with paddle shift and a dry weight of 600 kg. From 2012 the series used the Dallara T12 with a 3.4-litre Zytek V8 of 530 bhp at 9,250 rpm, 50 hp more and 15 kg lighter than before, and a drag reduction system similar to Formula One’s. The cars were 5,070 mm long, 1,850 mm wide, on a 3,000–3,125 mm wheelbase, with a 110-litre fuel tank and Michelin tyres.
The end
At the end of July 2015 Renault Sport announced it would stop backing Formula Renault 3.5 from 2016, handing control to co-organiser RPM, while continuing the World Series by Renault with the Renault Sport Trophy and Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup. RPM renamed the series Formula V8 3.5, and in December 2016 it became the World Series Formula V8 3.5. On 17 November 2017 it was announced that, for lack of entries, the series would not run in 2018.
Design and features
- Powerful for a junior class: 480 hp from a Nissan V6, then 530 hp from a Zytek V8.
- Dallara monocoques: carbon-fibre chassis with carbon and fibreglass bodywork.
- Paddle-shift gearbox: a six-speed semi-automatic Ricardo unit with reverse.
- Drag reduction system: introduced with the 2012 Dallara T12.
Formula Renault 3.5 versions
- Formula Renault 3.5 (2005–2011): Dallara T02, T05 and T08 with the Nissan V6.
- Formula Renault 3.5 (2012–2015): Dallara T12 with the Zytek V8 and DRS.
- Formula V8 3.5 (2016): the series after Renault Sport withdrew.
- World Series Formula V8 3.5 (2017): the final season before the series folded.
The junior classes below it are described in Formula Renault, and Renault’s factory team in Renault in Formula One. More Renaults are in the Renault collection.
Video: 2013 Formula Renault 3.5 cars with pure V8 sound
Video by 19Bozzy92 on YouTube.
Sources
- World Series Formula V8 3.5, English Wikipedia: history, technical data, end of the series
