Pioneers of the sport, the Renault name has been synonymous with racing success from the beginning. After they established their car manufacturing company, the Renault brothers decided to enter motorsport competitions after seeing the commercial advantages. Despite one of the Renault brothers, Marcel, perishing in a racing accident, and the other Louis quitting the sport as a result, the tradition of making impressive comebacks has continued for Renault. After leaving the sport at the end of 1997, Renault continued to work on the Formula One program. In 2001 Renault returned to the Grand Prix arena with an innovative engine design after purchasing the Benetton Formula One team the previous year.
With Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button behind the wheel, the Renault R202 was a Formula One car that competed in the 2002 Formula One season. Following a more than fifteen-year lapse, Renault returned to Formula One full-time. The Renault F1 entered Grand Prix racing with 'a clear long-term ambition: to win the Formula One World Championship with a 100% Renault package' according to Patrick Faure; Executive President of Renault and Chairman and CEO, Renault F1. The R202 featured incredibly groundbreaking technology linked to a history of unparalleled quality in Formula One.
The R202 bore the legacy of the Benetton years by uniting Regie yellow with the pale blue of principal backer Mild Seven.
The most memorable part of the R202 was the engine. Renault pioneered turbo engines in F1 and the R202 engine was definitely something to talk about. With a V angle of around 111 degrees, the engine was more than 20 degrees wider than the competitors' engines. Greatly improving the handling, this angle resulted in a lower center of gravity. On the previous season during the Benetton B201 the wide-angle engine had been initially introduced. A season of development had helped iron out the kinks and rid it of the teething problems its predecessor had experienced. The R202 featured a Renault RS22 engine with 10 cylinders. Capable of providing a max power of more than 800bhp, the engine had a maximum revs in excess of 17,500 rpm. The R202 engine was installed as a fully stressed member. The cylinder block was made from light alloy.
The chassis was molding carbon fiber and aluminum honeycomb composite monocoque that was manufactured by Renault F1. The chassis was designed for maximum strength and minimum weight. The front suspension was designed with a carbon fiber top and bottom wishbones that operate an inboard titanium rocker through a pushrod system. Mounted at the front of the monocoque, this system is connected to a torsion bar and damper units. The rear suspension is a carbon fiber top and steel lower wishbones that operate vertically mounted torsion bars and flat mounted damper units attached on the side of the gearbox casing. The transmission of the R202 is six-speed automatic gearbox with one reverse gear.
To aid in reducing the risk of fire, the Kevlar-reinforced rubber fuel cell system is mounted behind the cockpit in chassis monocoque. The vehicles cooling system had separate oil and water radiators found in the car's sidepods and cooled by utilizing airflow from the car's forward motion. The electrical system links to engine management system by the Renault F1-developed chassis electronics and software control items like the gearbox. The braking system was carbon fiber discs and pads with calipers by AP Racing.
On the inside of the R202 was a removable driver's seat constructed of anatomically formed carbon composite with a six-point harness seat belt. The steering wheel featured gear change and clutch paddles.
Setting up the team for their future success, the duo finished fourth in the Constructors' Championship with 23 points.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_R202
http://www.renault.com/en/passionsport/sport-automobile/pages/formule-1-l-histoire-de-renault-en-f1.aspx
http://www.autoviva.com/make.php?id=1496&sec=about#history
http://www.crash.net/f1/team_profile/5/renault_f1.html
http://www.autoweb.com.au/cms/A_54938/title_Renault-the-2002-Formula-One-Season/newsarticle.html
by Jessican Donaldson