The Renault RS10 was developed for the 1979 Formula One season and became the first turbocharged Formula One car to win a Grand Prix. Along with its predecessor, the RS01, it was one of the most revolutionary Grand Prix cars of all time.
Renault RS10 at a glance
| Team | Renault, 1979 Formula One season |
|---|---|
| Designers | François Castaing, Michel Têtu, Marcel Hubert |
| Developed from | Renault RS01 |
| Engine | 1.5-litre turbocharged V6 |
| First win | the first for a turbocharged Formula One car |
| Legacy | opened the way to the turbo era of the 1980s |
| Test driver | Jean-Pierre Jabouille from 1977 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Renault RS10.
History of the Renault RS10
From the RS01
The RS10 was designed and developed by François Castaing, Michel Têtu and Marcel Hubert and developed from the much-maligned RS01. The RS01 had been conceived alongside Renault’s effort to build a turbocharged Le Mans winning car and was little more than a development mule for the 1.5-litre turbocharged engine.
Jabouille’s programme
Jean-Pierre Jabouille, with his engineering degree, mechanical aptitude and driving skill, was hired to run Renault’s Formula One programme in 1977 and worked to develop the engine over the 1977 to 1979 seasons. In its early years the turbo effort was a paddock joke: the RS01 earned the nickname ‘Yellow Teapot’ because its race would often end with the yellow car smoking and parked.
The turbo era
The RS10’s first victory changed the framework of Formula One, spurring the development of the 1,300 bhp turbocharged cars of the 1980s and ringing the death knell for normally aspirated engines.
Design and features
- First turbo win: the breakthrough victory for a turbocharged Formula One car.
- 1.5-litre turbo V6: developed over three seasons with Jabouille.
- RS01 heritage: a direct development of the experimental earlier car.
- Turbo revolution: the car that ended the dominance of normally aspirated engines.
Renault RS10 versions
- RS01 (1977–1978): the development car, nicknamed the Yellow Teapot.
- RS10 (1979): the first turbocharged Grand Prix winner.
The RS10 led to the Renault RE20 and RE30, and Renault’s whole Formula One story is on the Renault in Formula One page. More cars are in the Renault collection.
Sources
- Renault RS10, English Wikipedia: development, designers, first turbo win, legacy
