The Renault R30 was a Formula One racing car designed and built by Renault for the 2010 season, driven by Robert Kubica and the rookie Vitaly Petrov. It was unveiled on 31 January 2010 at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia.
Renault R30 at a glance
| Team | Renault, 2010 Formula One season |
|---|---|
| Drivers | Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov |
| Test drivers | Ho-Pin Tung, Jérôme d’Ambrosio, Jan Charouz |
| Chassis design | James Allison, Naoki Tokunaga, Tim Densham, Nick Chester |
| Engine design | Rob White |
| Unveiled | 31 January 2010, Valencia |
| Development | F-duct introduced at the Belgian Grand Prix |
| Best result | second place for Kubica in Melbourne |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Renault R30.
History of the Renault R30
The car
The chassis was designed by James Allison, Naoki Tokunaga, Tim Densham, Nick Chester, Martin Tolliday, Mike Elliott and Dirk de Beer, with Rob White leading engine design. The car was driven by Robert Kubica and the rookie Vitaly Petrov, with Ho-Pin Tung, Jérôme d’Ambrosio and Jan Charouz as test drivers.
Development
At the Belgian Grand Prix Renault introduced the F-duct on the R30, having postponed it since Silverstone because it was inefficient at the time.
The season
In the opening race in Bahrain the R30 performed creditably in qualifying, with Kubica ninth and Petrov seventeenth, although only Kubica finished, in eleventh. In Melbourne Kubica drove to second place while Petrov retired, and in Malaysia Kubica finished fourth, showing the car’s competitiveness.
Design and features
- Kubica’s podium: second place in Melbourne early in the season.
- F-duct: an aerodynamic device added at the Belgian Grand Prix.
- Rookie team mate: Vitaly Petrov alongside Kubica.
- Valencia launch: presented at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
Renault R30 versions
- R30 (2010): the single version raced during the season.
The R30 followed the Renault R29 and was the last of the numbered Renault cars covered here, after the R26 and R28. More cars are in the Renault collection.
Sources
- Renault R30, English Wikipedia: drivers, launch, F-duct, race results
