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Renault’s new Formula 1 challenger

January 2009

Renault has unveiled its latest Formula 1 car, the R29, with which it will contest the 2009 World Championship with Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet.

Designed to meet the radically changed regulations for 2009, work on the R29 started in February last year and the car has already undergone initial testing in Portugal.

Last season confirmed Renault’s place among the elite, with Alonso, the 2005 and 2006 World Champion, scoring more points in the last six rounds of the championship, including victories in Singapore and Japan, than any other driver.

He eventually finished fifth in the driver’s championship, while the Renault Team was fourth in the manufacturer’s title race.

“These results confirm the team’s hunger for success and have been an incredible source of motivation during our preparations for 2009,” said Bernard Rey, the President of the ING Renault F1 Team.

“We have confirmed our two drivers and have recently invested in cutting-edge facilities. This affirms our desire to race at the front during 2009 with the objective of having a car that is capable of fighting for the podium and victories at every race.”

We are therefore approaching the new season with optimism and determination,” said Mr Rey.

The new R29 is a development in design philosophy aimed at extracting maximum performance from the new aero regulations, slick Bridgestone tyres, and KERS (kinetic energy recovery system), whilst further developing the strong features of the R28.

With such radical rules coming into force, particularly with respect to aerodynamics, the team placed great emphasis on maximising the R29’s time in the wind tunnel, with aero development already underway by February 2008.

“Each year we see new sporting and technical regulations and the teams are used to dealing with the challenges that this presents,” said Alonso. “It can shake up the order a bit, but it’s usually the same teams that you find at the front and I’m sure that will be the case once again this season.”

“In the past Renault has shown that it is good at adapting to rule changes and the team started to work very early on the R29 project so hopefully this will pay us back on the racetrack.”

There has been a concerted effort to save as much weight as possible on the R29 to allow for the introduction of the KERS system. As a result, the design team has moved towards using alternative materials and construction methods, such as the carbon-titanium gearbox casing, increased use of MMC aluminium and magnesium.

Renault started the design work of the KERS system in 2007 in conjunction with Magnetti-Marelli. The system consists of a motor-generator, which is connected to the front of the engine (this charges the battery on braking and releases the energy under acceleration), a battery pack located in the chassis and a KERS control unit.

The front end of the car is dominated by the 2009 aero specification wide front wing which has a driver controlled adjustable incidence flap. This looks very different to previous years being much closer to the ground and has much greater influence on the air flow over the tyres due to its increased span.

Great attention has therefore been paid to the end plates which have become much more critical devices than they have been in previous years. The front end also has a more radical front suspension layout with new geometry including inclined wishbones and higher monocoque in order to maximise the new slick tyres and improve aerodynamic efficiency.

The rear of the monocoque under the bodywork has changed considerably with the integration of the KERS system, which has taken a lot of effort to package neatly for the minimum weight. The introduction of this new technology has also influenced the car’s aero package with careful consideration paid to ensure sufficient cooling.

The bodywork appendages, such as winglets, flicks and chimneys have now largely disappeared with the 2009 aero regulations. The surfaces are therefore much simpler and more streamlined; although the R29 still incorporates the R28-type dorsal fin and flush exhaust exits seen on previous Renault F1 cars.

The 2009 rear wing is narrower and higher and reverts back to the centrally-supported single pylon design first introduced on the R26.

“Aesthetically, it’s true that the R29 is very different to the R28, but this is a consequence of the new aerodynamic regulations,” said Alonso. “The 2009 season
represents a real challenge on all levels and we will have to wait for the first few races of the season to see whether the decisions that we have taken have been the right ones.”

The four-race gearbox has a brand new carbon-titanium main case to save weight, and an improved gearshift system developed on the R28, which has also reduced weight and improves performance.

The R29 therefore shares little in common with its predecessor with much of the car designed from a clean sheet of paper. This is particularly true of the aerodynamic package where efforts in the past have concentrated on evolutionary design. The technical team has risen to the challenges of this shake-up in the rules and looks forward to seeing the results of their efforts on the racetrack.

The R29 has a moulded carbon fibre and aluminium honeycomb composite monocoque, manufactured by the Renault F1 Team and designed for maximum strength with minimum weight. The RS27 V8 engine is installed as a fully-stressed member.

Carbon fibre top and bottom wishbones in the front suspension operate an inboard rocker via a pushrod system. This is connected to a torsion bar and damper units which are mounted inside the front of the monocoque.

Carbon fibre top and bottom wishbones operating angled torsion bars and transverse-mounted damper units are mounted on the top of the gearbox casing at the rear. MMC aluminium uprights and machined magnesium wheels are used front and rear.

A seven-speed semi-automatic carbon-titanium gearbox with reverse gear and a “Quickshift” system is in operation to maximise speed of gearshifts.

Separate oil and water radiators located in the car's side pods and cooled using airflow from the car's forward motion provide the cooling systems.

Braking is taken care of by carbon discs and pads (Hitco); with callipers and master cylinders by AP Racing.

A removable driver’s seat made of anatomically formed carbon composite; with six-point harness seat belt is the main feature of the cockpit. The steering wheel integrates gear change and clutch paddles, front flap adjuster and KERS energy release controls.

The R29 has a front track of 1450 mm; rear track 1400 mm; overall length 4800 mm; overall height 950 mm; overall width 1800 mm and a weight of 605 kg, with driver, cameras and ballast.

Here’s a brief overview of the rule changes for 2009:

In order to reduce costs and encourage overtaking, the FIA, the sport’s controlling body has introduced significant changes to the technical and sporting regulations this season.

Engines
• Each 2009 specification V8 engine must be used for three consecutive Grand Prix weekends (increased from two in 2008).
• Each driver can use a maximum of 8 engines during the season and 4 for free practice.
• The rev limit of each engine has been lowered to 18,000rpm.
• Each gearbox must last for four races.

Tyres
• Tyres are now ‘slicks’ as opposed to ‘grooved’. Each driver will have the same allocation as in 2008 and a choice between two compounds of tyre, both of which must be used during the race.
Bodywork
• The front wing is restricted to two horizontal planes and is much larger and closer to the ground compared with 2008. Its incline is adjustable and can be controlled by the driver from the cockpit, but the central area remains fixed.
• The rear wing is positioned higher and has become narrower.
• All the appendages such as winglets, chimneys and flicks are now banned, resulting in much smoother bodywork.
Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS)
This year the cars are fitted with a battery storage system connected to an electric motor that is linked to the engine. This stores the energy generated under braking and makes it available under acceleration via a button situated on the steering wheel. The extra power generated is somewhere in the region of 60kW and is equivalent to around 80 horsepower. The system cannot release more than 400kJ per lap.
Other Measures
• In-season testing is banned.
• Wind tunnel use has been limited.
• Information relating to fuel loads and tyres will be made public to remove the need for spotters, thus reducing the number of personnel travelling to the races in each team

Renault has been a major player in Formula 1 for over 30 years, claiming the Manufacturers' and Drivers' titles in 2005 and 2006 with Alonso.

ENDS

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