Renault R30
| Company type | Formula One racing car |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorsport |
| Founded | January 31, 2010 |
| Headquarters | Valencia , Spain |
Key people | James Allison, Naoki Tokunaga, Tim Densham, Martin Tolliday, Jarrod Murphy, Mike Elliott, Dirk de Beer, Rob White |
| Products | Formula One car |
The Renault R30 was a Formula One vehicle engineered by Renault F1 specifically for the season. Its drivers included seasoned competitor Robert Kubica alongside newcomer Vitaly Petrov. The team also utilized test drivers such as Ho-Pin Tung, Jérôme d'Ambrosio, and Jan Charouz. The car was officially introduced on January 31, 2010, at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, before making its race debut at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Design
The development of the chassis involved a team comprising James Allison, Naoki Tokunaga, Tim Densham, Martin Tolliday, Jarrod Murphy, Mike Elliott, and Dirk de Beer, while engine design was overseen by Rob White.
During the , Renault incorporated the F-duct system into the R30, having delayed its initial introduction at Silverstone due to suboptimal performance.
Season summary
Compared to its predecessor, the R30 demonstrated enhanced competitiveness. Early in the season, Robert Kubica achieved several notable finishes, positioning Renault as Mercedes' chief contender for fourth place in the Constructors' Championship. Although Renault concluded the season in fifth position, both Kubica and Petrov earned double points at the concluding event, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, signaling a positive rebound following a challenging 2009 campaign.
Sponsorship and livery
After parting ways with Dutch banking sponsor ING Group, Renault returned to its traditional yellow and black color scheme, evoking liveries used up through the RE60 model in 1985. Red accents on the spoilers prominently displayed branding from oil company Total.
Without a title sponsor throughout 2010, early-season car liveries featured minimal external logos. The principal commercial partner was Dutch watchmaker TW Steel, whose emblem appeared on the nose and above radiator intakes. Prior to the season's start, Renault secured a two-year sponsorship agreement with technology corporation Hewlett-Packard, whose logo was placed on the bonnet fin. Investment from Genii Capital resulted in their branding being displayed on front suspension components. Additionally, second driver Petrov brought Lada sponsorship to the front side sections of the vehicle, while DIAC, a credit institution affiliated with Renault, was featured on the sidepods.
As the season progressed, further sponsors including Banka SNORAS (which replaced DIAC), EFG International, TrinaSolar, and MOVIT joined Renault's commercial portfolio.
Later uses
At the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the R30 appeared adorned in Lotus Renault R31 colors.
For tyre development during 2012–2013, tyre supplier Pirelli utilized the R30 chassis as a replacement for the former test car, the Toyota TF109. Test drivers such as Jaime Alguersuari and Lucas di Grassi conducted evaluations at European tracks including Jerez, Spa, Monza, and Barcelona.
On January 23–24, 2012, Kimi Räikkönen performed a private test session driving an R30 painted in the colors of the Lotus E20 at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia.
Other appearances
In November 2010, former Russian president Vladimir Putin drove an R30 on a track near Saint Petersburg.
Complete Formula One results
(key) (bold denotes pole position; italics signify fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Power Unit | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:F1 | Renault F1 Team | Renault RS27 V8 engine | Template:Bridgestone | BHR | AUS | MAL | CHN | ESP | MON | TUR | CAN | EUR | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | SIN | JPN | KOR | BRA | ABU | 163 | 5th place | |
| Template:Country data POLTemplate:Namespace detect showall Robert Kubica | 11th | 2nd | 4th | 5th | 8th | 3rd | 6th | 7th | 5th | Retired | 7th | Retired | 3rd | 8th | 7th | Retired | 5th | 9th | 5th | ||||||
| Template:Country data RUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Vitaly Petrov | Retired | Retired | Retired | 7th place | 11th place | 13† | 15th | 17th | 14th | 13th | 10th | 5th | 9th | 13th | 11th | Retired | Retired | 16th | 6th |
Driver did not complete the race but was classified (completed over 90% of race distance).