Renault design drooping nose for zero keel
Similar to Honda's totally different strategy, Renault had to do something very different to get back on form. The French team have gotten rid of their V-keel and instead designed a low nose that allowed the team to hold on to their almost horizontal frontal wishbones. As a comparison, the RA108 is on top with the R28 on the bottom. It is clear that the nose of the Renault is substantially longer and also lower between the front wheels. Metric markings are added, using the Renault front wheelnut as a reference. While the lower wishbones connected to the chassis lower than the wheel nut on the R28, Honda has them attached higher, at least as high as the nut itself. As a result, Renault have a potentially better suspension geometry. That was most likely the aim of the French team as it will allow them to adapt better to the Bridgestones after their tyre struggle last year.
Thanks Tomba! The RA108\'s nose reminds me of the FW24 from 2002: very high with the wing very low. Maybe Honda are going back to basics to get a good baseline for upcoming years? Another interesting thing (thanks for the great illustration!), is the longer nose on the R28. It reminds me of a point BMW made with their 2007 car, saying that they dramatically shortened the nose compared to their 2006 car. Whatever works, eh?