Renault R.S.18
| Industry | Motorsport |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Enstone , United Kingdom |
Key people | Bob Bell (Chief Technical Officer), Nick Chester (Chassis design), Chris Cooney (Chassis design), Martin Tolliday (Chassis design), Pete Machin (Chassis design), Rémi Taffin (Powertrain design) |
| Products | Formula One racing cars |
The Renault R.S.18 represents the Formula One race car engineered by the Renault Sport Formula One Team for participation in the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship. The chassis design was a collaborative effort by Nick Chester, Chris Cooney, Martin Tolliday, and Pete Machin, with Chief Technical Officer Bob Bell supervising the overall development. Powertrain design was directed by Rémi Taffin. The vehicle was piloted by drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Carlos Sainz Jr., making its competitive debut at the 2018 Australian Grand Prix.
Design and development
Following Renault's re-entry as a constructor in , the team embarked on an aggressive recruitment campaign and significantly upgraded its Enstone headquarters. The creation of the R.S.18 took place alongside a substantial expansion of the Enstone facility to accommodate the team's growing operational demands.
Competition history
The R.S.18 made an impactful debut in Australia, with both cars advancing to Q3 during qualifying and finishing seventh and tenth for Hülkenberg and Sainz respectively, despite Sainz experiencing nausea caused by a malfunction in his hydration system late in the race. This strong start was reinforced in Bahrain, where Hülkenberg finished sixth and Sainz narrowly missed scoring points, ending up eleventh. In China, both drivers secured points finishes: Hülkenberg in sixth place and Sainz in ninth.
During the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Renault showcased its competitiveness again as both drivers reached Q3 for the fourth straight race. Early race pace allowed overtaking of Red Bull cars, positioning Sainz fourth and Hülkenberg fifth before suspension failure forced Hülkenberg out on lap ten. Taking advantage of other retirements, Sainz concluded the race in fifth position.
At the Spanish Grand Prix qualifying session, Hülkenberg encountered a fuel-related problem that restricted him to sixteenth place and prevented progression to Q2, while Sainz qualified ninth. An incident on the first lap involving Romain Grosjean caused Hülkenberg to retire; meanwhile, Sainz finished seventh, contributing to Renault overtaking McLaren in the Constructors' Championship standings. The team consistently earned points finishes at Monaco, Canada, and France.
The R.S.18 represented a notable advancement over its predecessor model. Renault ended the season ranked fourth in the constructors' championship with 122 points, solidifying their position as "the best of the rest."
Sponsorship and livery
The R.S.18 carried a black and yellow paint scheme featuring a more vibrant yellow compared to the previous year. Carlos Sainz Jr.'s personal sponsor, Estrella Galicia, was prominently displayed on the sidepods. Additionally, the team was backed by sponsorship from the La Liga football league.
At the 2018 British Grand Prix, a special livery was applied to promote the movie Incredibles 2, incorporating red and yellow stripes along the car's fin.
Later use
In 2021, Fernando Alonso drove an R.S.18 adorned with Alpine A521 livery at Circuit de la Sarthe. Later that same year, a modified version of the R.S.18 was utilized to test new tyre compounds intended for use in 2022 following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Complete Formula One results
(key) (bold denotes pole position; italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | Grands Prix | Points | WCC | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | BHR | CHN | AZE | ESP | MON | CAN | FRA | AUT | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | SIN | RUS | JPN | USA | MEX | BRA | ABU | |||||||
| 2018 | Renault Sport Formula One Team | Renault R.E.18 | Template:Pirelli | Nico Hülkenberg | 7 |style="background:#dfffdf"|6 |style="background:#dfffdf"|6 |style="background:#efcfff"|Ret |style="background:#efcfff"|Ret |style="background:#dfffdf"|8 |style="background:#dfffdf"|7 |style="background:#dfffdf"|9 |style="background:#efcfff"|Ret |style="background:#dfffdf"|6 |style="background:#dfffdf"|5 |style="background:#cfcfff"|12 |style="background:#efcfff"|Ret |style="background:#cfcfff"|13 |style="background:#dfffdf"|10 |style="background:#cfcfff"|12 |style="background:#efcfff"|Ret |style="background:#dfffdf"|6 |style="background:#dfffdf"|6 |style="background:#efcfff"|Ret |style="background:#efcfff"|Ret | 122 | 4th | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Carlos Sainz Jr. | 10 |style="background:#cfcfff"|11 |style="background:#dfffdf"|9 |style="background:#dfffdf"|5 |style="background:#dfffdf"|7 |style="background:#dfffdf"|10 |style="background:#dfffdf"|8 |style="background:#dfffdf"|8 |style="background:#cfcfff"|12 |style="background:#efcfff"|Ret |style="background:#cfcfff"|12 |style="background:#dfffdf"|9 |style="background:#cfcfff"|11 |style="background:#dfffdf"|8 |style="background:#dfffdf"|8 |style="background:#cfcfff"|17 |style="background:#dfffdf"|10 |style="background:#dfffdf"|7 |style="background:#efcfff"|Ret |style="background:#cfcfff"|12 |style="background:#dfffdf"|6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||