Renault R29

Renault F1 Team

Industry	Formula One racing
Key people	Bob Bell (Technical Director), James Allison (Deputy Technical Director), Tim Densham (Chief Designer), Dirk de Beer (Head of Aerodynamics), Pat Symonds (Executive Director of Engineering), Rob White (Engine Development)
Products	Renault R29 Formula One car

The Renault R29 represents the Formula One vehicle engineered by the Renault F1 Team for competition in the 2009 World Championship. The chassis design was managed by Technical Director Bob Bell, with support from Deputy Technical Director James Allison, Chief Designer Tim Densham, and Head of Aerodynamics Dirk de Beer. Overall supervision of the design and manufacturing processes was provided by Executive Director of Engineering Pat Symonds. Engine development responsibilities were led by Rob White. The driving lineup featured former World Champion Fernando Alonso, accompanied by Nelson Piquet Jr. and Romain Grosjean.

Launch

The unveiling of the R29 occurred on 19 January 2009 at the Algarve circuit located in Portugal.

Testing

The initial shakedown sessions were conducted at Portimao from 19 to 22 January 2009, where the Renault team tested alongside competitors such as Williams, McLaren, Toyota, and Toro Rosso. During this period, Nelson Piquet Jr. handled driving duties for the first two days, while Fernando Alonso took over for the final two days.

Season review

Despite a promising conclusion to the previous season, Renault's objectives for both the drivers' and constructors' championships were unmet. All 26 points accrued by the team were earned solely by Fernando Alonso, whereas teammates Nelson Piquet Jr. and Romain Grosjean frequently encountered difficulties, often failing to advance beyond Q1.

In contrast to other 2009 contenders like the McLaren MP4-24, which improved as the season progressed, the R29 exhibited no significant development and arguably regressed in performance. Alonso's third-place finish at the marked Renault's only podium appearance throughout that campaign.

Sponsorship

The primary sponsorship from ING Group continued from 2008 but was terminated immediately following the "Crashgate" incident. Starting with the Singapore Grand Prix, ING’s branding on the car was replaced with Renault. Although ING logos remained on driver suits and team apparel during Singapore, they were completely removed by the Japanese Grand Prix, along with the orange color elements.

French petroleum firm Elf Aquitaine was succeeded by its parent company Total, which introduced red highlights into the car’s livery. Nevertheless, an Elf logo persisted on the engine cover.

Complete Formula One results

(key) (results in bold denote 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	Points	WCC
Template:F1	ING Renault F1 Team	Renault RS27 V8	Template:Bridgestone		AUS	MAL	CHN	BHR	ESP	MON	TUR	GBR	GER	HUN	EUR	BEL	ITA	SIN	JPN	BRA	ABU	26	8th
				Fernando Alonso	5	11	9	8	5	7	10	14	7	Ret	6	Ret	5	3	10	Ret
				Nelson Piquet Jr.	Ret	15	16	10	12	Ret	16	12	13	12
				Romain Grosjean											15	Ret	15	Ret	16	13	18