Magic Moments: 30 Years of Renault in F1

To mark the 30th anniversary of Renault’s Formula One debut, each weekend we re-live our magic moments from the race in question – and the dates on which we are racing! Renault has fond memories of the Bahraini Grand Prix:

Coinciding with Friday practice in Bahrain is the 19th anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s dramatic win in the 1986 Spanish Grand Prix, at the wheel of the Renault V6 Turbo-powered Lotus 98T. It was the first Grand Prix held at the brand-new Jerez de la Frontera circuit in southern Spain, and still stands in the record books as one of the closest finishes in F1 history, as Senna took victory just 0.014s ahead of a charging Nigel Mansell. Senna’s Renault power just kept him ahead as Mansell, on a charge through the field after a late-race stop for new tyres, tried all he knew to pass on the exit of the final corner. It was the Brazilian’s third F1 victory, and the penultimate of his four wins with Renault turbo power. It was the 19th win for a Renault-powered F1 car.

Friday in Bahrain will also mark the 10th anniversary of Jacques Villeneuve’s triumph in the 1997 Argentine Grand Prix. The Williams-Renault driver won the race from pole (number 125 for a Renault engine), but the race was not as serene as that makes it sound. Victory seemed to be heading to Oliver Panis’ Prost in the early stages, when it became clear that the performance advantage offered by his Bridgestone tyres would have allowed him to make only two stops, compared to his rivals’ three. However, the Frenchman’s retirement on lap 19 while running second meant the fight for the win came down to a straight battle between Eddie Irvine’s Ferrari and Villeneuve. The Canadian held the Ulsterman off to win by less than a second, taking win number 88 for a Renault engine.

Fernando Alonso’s triumph at the wheel of the R25 was a special occasion in Renault’s F1 history. Not only did this victory, his second consecutive win, help establish the platform for that year’s world championship victory, it also marked an important milestone in the company’s F1 story: the 100th win for a Renault engine in Formula 1, and the 20th win for a Renault chassis.

As the curtain-raiser for the 2006 season, the Bahraini GP had a lot to live up to last year – and it delivered in fine style. The race-long battle between Alonso’s Renault and Schumacher’s Ferrari was compelling, encapsulating the titanic struggle that was to unfold throughout the season. After shadowing the Ferrari for two stints, Alonso’s Renault dived into the pits on lap 39 for its second and final stop. Swift work from the Renault pit crew saw Alonso emerge from the pits wheel to wheel with the German, and as Alonso held his line, the lead – and victory – was his. He held off Schumacher for his first win of the 2006 season, giving Renault a winning start in its championship defence.