Renault RE30

Renault

Industry	Automotive, Motorsport
Founded	1899
Headquarters	Boulogne-Billancourt , France
Products	Automobiles, Formula One cars

The Renault RE30 was a Formula One vehicle engineered by Bernard Dudot and Michel Têtu for the Renault squad during the 1981 Formula One season. Its updated iterations, the RE30B and RE30C, participated in the and early campaigns respectively.

1981

Representing a major overhaul from its forerunner, the RE20, the RE30 incorporated carbon fibre materials in its build and showcased distinctive aerodynamic upturns just before the rear wheels. It featured a full-width front wing coupled with an enhanced turbocharged power unit delivering approximately , powered by dual KKK turbochargers. The design exploited advanced ground effect principles within the constraints of 1981 regulations that prohibited sliding skirts. Despite being arguably the fastest contender on track, its late introduction limited its ability to overcome early-season mechanical setbacks.

Following five races with the RE20, Renault unveiled the RE30 at the 1981 Monaco Grand Prix. At this home event, René Arnoux earned pole position while teammate Alain Prost secured his inaugural Grand Prix victory. The car proceeded to dominate qualifying sessions with six straight poles (Arnoux three times, Prost twice), as Prost triumphed again at the Dutch GP, finished runner-up in Germany, and Arnoux took second in Austria. Prost added a third win in Italy and concluded the season with a second place at Caesars Palace. Ultimately, Prost ranked fifth in the Drivers’ Championship, Arnoux ninth, and Renault achieved third place in the Constructors’ standings.

1982

For 1982, Renault introduced the RE30 "B" version, which featured a redesigned front end with separate left and right front wings along with a new rear wing. Progress in ground effect technology often led teams to run without front wings altogether. The engine was further refined to produce approximately 590 bhp. Prost began strongly by winning both the Brazilian and South African Grands Prix, signaling his title ambitions. However, these remained his sole victories as competitors such as Ferrari, Williams, and McLaren advanced beyond Renault’s technological edge.

The RE30B excelled during qualifying sessions, frequently securing pole positions courtesy of Prost or Arnoux, yet reliability issues arose from experimental electronic fuel injection failures—a system implemented due to Renault’s corporate directives. Nevertheless, combining a robust chassis, aerodynamic efficiency, and a potent engine allowed the car to perform well across various circuits including tight venues like Monaco and Long Beach where turbo lag disadvantaged rivals like Ferrari and Brabham-BMW. Arnoux claimed two wins late in the season but managed to finish only four races overall. Prost narrowly missed victories at Monaco, Austria, and Dijon because of late-race troubles, finishing fourth in the drivers' championship while Renault maintained third place in constructors'.

1983

The RE30 was further developed into the "C" specification for early 1983 before being succeeded by the RE40. Both Prost and new teammate Eddie Cheever piloted the RE30C at the season opener in Brazil; Cheever also drove it at Long Beach. This iteration conformed to new "flat bottom" regulations and incorporated a larger rear wing alongside modified front wings.

With seven victories and sixteen pole positions, the RE30 stood as Renault’s most successful Formula One car until surpassed by Fernando Alonso’s world championship-winning cars in and .

Complete Formula One results

(key) (results shown in bold denote pole positions; results in italics signify fastest laps)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Points	WCC
Template:F1	Equipe Renault Elf	RE30	Renault-Gordini EF1 V6 (t/c)	Template:Michelin		USW	BRA	ARG	SMR	BEL	MON	ESP	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	CAN	CPL		54*	3rd
					Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Alain Prost						Retired	Retired	1st	Retired	2nd	Retired	Winner	1st	Retired	2nd place
					Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall René Arnoux						Retired	9th place	4th	9th	13th place	2nd	Retired	'Ret'	'Ret'	'Ret'
Template:F1	Equipe Renault Elf	RE30B	Renault-Gordini EF1 V6 ( t/c)	Template:Michelin		RSA	BRA	USW	SMR	BEL	MON	DET	CAN	NED	GBR	FRA	GER	AUT	SUI	ITA	CPL	62	3rd
					Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Alain Prost	Winner	Pole position	Retired	Retired	'Retired'	'7th'	'Not Classified'	'Retired'	'Retired'	'6th'	style="background:#DFDFDF;">'2nd'	Retired	8th	2nd	Retired	4th
					<img src='flagicon/FRA.png'> René Arnoux	3rd	Retired	Retired	Retired	Retired	Retired	10th	Retired	Retired	Retired	Winner	2nd place	Retired	16th	Winner	Retired
rowspan=3 Template:F1{ {{"'}"} }{ {{"'}"} }{ {{"'}"} }{ "83" }}	rowspan=3 Equipe Renault Elf Aquitaine	rowspan=3 RE30C	rowspan=3 Renault-Gordini EF1 V6 (t/c)	rowspan=3 Michelin																	rowspan=3 style= background: #dfdfdf; 79**	rowspan=3 style= background: #dfdfdf; 2nd	Alain Prost	7															Eddie Cheever	Ret	13

* Six points were earned using the Renault RE20 chassis
** Entire tally of 79 points achieved with the Renault RE40

Sources

• Pritchard, Anthony. Directory of Formula One Cars 1966-1986. Aston Publications, 1986, pp. 180–182. ISBN 0-946627-02-9.
• Nye, Doug. Autocourse History of the Grand Prix Car 1966-1985. Hazleton Publishing, 1986, p. 231. ISBN 0-905138-37-6.