Formula One car development blog

Renault have introduced another new front wing. Fernando Alonso tested it on and off during Friday and Saturday free practices before deciding to use it in qualifying and the race. This time it consisted only of a minor adjustment, but considering its position it may well have an interesting influence on the airflow further downstream.

The team added a vertical split panel on top of the wing, approximately where Brawn and BMW have similar items. Renault's version is however only for... Read more

Renault, just like BMW have found out the hard way that focusing too much on KERS during the winter has cost them dearly in aerodynamic performance of the car. The French squad is steadily improving with continuous updates and found out with Alonso that their latest package is an interesting upgrade.

The R29 does not have a specific problem but rather suffers a lack of grip, already since the first winter tests. Just like McLaren, the team therefore introduced a new front wing, a mu... Read more

Renault have had a great deal of work with their sidepods since the beginning of the season, but for the first time this year they have modified the air inlets to provide cooling to the engine and the car's internal parts. The larger inlet was debuted at Silverstone but was used again at the Nürburgring, surprisingly two of the more chilly events of the year.

The team has optimised internal airflow by merging the 2 cooling inlets together and separating the flow later on in the side... Read more

Renault have been very quick introducing new bits on its R29 contender, and part of their rear end update at China was a heavily revised sidepod ending. In sharp contrast with version seen at the launch, the new sidepods have more openings to provide extra cooling. As such the team could slim down the bodywork quite a bit and ditch its undercut hot air channel between the rear wheels.

A disadvantage of allowing more hot air to escape earlier on in the air stream, the sidepod compone... Read more

Apart from a whole range of changes on the rear end of the car, Renault have also changed their front wing to be more efficient. The above detail image is the new Shangai version for Alonso, while the lower one is that used in the 2 earlier races and by Piquet at Shangai. The latter will undoubtedly soon also have this update once the team finish manufacturing of a second one.

Marked by the arrows is the trailing edge of the main flap, now featuring sharp cuts and a more elaborate g... Read more

Just two weeks after the initial tests, Renault has already introduced a modified nose cone, building upon the foundations that were laid out at the launch. The tip of the nose is now a little more rounded to reduce drag.
The underside however now sports 'side skirts' all along the sides of the nose, in between the front wheels and extending to the splitter. The new design will help even more to benefit from the low pressure area underneath the nose.

Although interesting, Renault is... Read more

The new regulations do not only create problems in finding downforce, but they also give engineers a harder time in trying to cool the engine down. More specifically, since shark gills, chimneys or any other cooling opening in the sidepods is forbidden, all radiator air must come out of the sidepods at the back. Renault have therefore taken a similar approach to Ferrari by making the sidepod some kind of a tube that direct hot air towards the rear. Such wide sidepod however allows i... Read more

The newly launched Renault stunned many fans and experts because of its chunky nose. While it is arguably not aesthetically pleasing, it is this kind of creativity coupled to efficiency that make Formula One to what it is today.

As the image shows, there are many points of interest to this new Renault, starting with the nose. The team have come a long way from the very thin and designs of the Renault R25 and Renault R26, but have found it increasingly important to have room to posit... Read more