Renault bids fond farewell to its F1 V8

Filed under: Motorsports, Renault



Lots of things change over time in Formula One, but its eras have largely been defined by their engine formula. The turbo era gave way to the V12, then the V10 and on to the V8 that ran its final laps at last weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix. But as it officially hands over the driveshaft to the new 1.6-liter turbo V6 that will replace it next season, Renault wants to say goodbye to the 2.4-liter V8 that has formed the backbone of the series for as many years as it has pistons.

Why Renault, you ask? Because the French manufacturer has accounted for the lion's share of the wins over the course of the past eight years. Though Renault no longer runs its own team, the prolific RS27 engine powers Red Bull, Lotus, Williams and Caterham efforts, which Renault has propelled to 59 race wins to account for 40-percent of the checkered flags of the V8 era. It's also claimed 65 pole positions, 55 quickest laps and, most notably, five driver World Championships and another five Constructors' titles.

Over the past eight years, Renaultsport has built 1,271 engines, 683 of which were used on track and another 588 on dynos. They've covered over two million kilometers (about one and a quarter million miles) and gone through over seven and a half million parts, the breakdown of which you can read in the press release below. But one thing's for sure: no matter how the next turbo/hybrid era works out, the V8 era will be one to remember - and Renault's was king of them all.Continue reading Renault bids fond farewell to its F1 V8

Renault bids fond farewell to its F1 V8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Nov 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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