Renault R31

Renault R31
	Vitaly Petrov driving the R31 during the Italian Grand Prix
Category	Formula One
Constructor	Renault
Designer(s)	James Allison (Technical Director); Naoki Tokunaga (Deputy Technical Director); Tim Densham (Chief Designer); Martin Tolliday (Project Leader); Jarrod Murphy (Head of CFD); Dirk de Beer (Head of Aerodynamics); Mike Elliott (Chief Aerodynamicist); Rob White (Engine Technical Director)
Predecessor	Renault R30
Successor	Lotus E20 - Lotus Engineering ; Renault RS16 - Renault branded
Technical specifications
Chassis	Moulded carbon fibre and aluminium honeycomb composite monocoque, with engine incorporated as a fully stressed member
Suspension (front)	Carbon fibre double wishbone, operating inboard torsion bar and damper units via a pushrod system
Suspension (rear)	As front except via a pullrod system
Engine	Renault RS27-2011 2,400 cc (146.5 cu in) 90° V8, limited to 18,000 RPM with KERS naturally aspirated mid-mounted
Transmission	Seven-speed semi-automatic titanium gearbox with reverse gear "Quickshift" system
Power	>750 hp @ 18,000 rpm
Weight	640 kg (1,411 lb) (including driver)
Fuel	Total
Tyres	Pirelli P Zero; OZ Wheels (front and rear): 13"
Competition history
Notable entrants	Lotus Renault GP
Notable drivers	9. Bruno Senna ; 9. Nick Heidfeld ; 10. Vitaly Petrov
Debut	2011 Australian Grand Prix
Last event	2011 Brazilian Grand Prix

Last updated October 10, 2024

The Renault R31 was a Formula One racing car designed by Lotus Renault GP for the 2011 Formula One season. The chassis was designed by James Allison, Naoki Tokunaga, Tim Densham and Dirk de Beer with Rob White leading the engine design. The car was driven by Vitaly Petrov and Nick Heidfeld, who was replaced mid-season by Bruno Senna. This was the first Enstone-based F1 car supplied with Pirelli tyres since the Benetton B191 in 1991.

Design

The R31 was unveiled at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain on 31 January 2011,^[2] where Vitaly Petrov was first to drive it.^[3] Renault had planned to have Robert Kubica as teammate to Petrov, but Kubica got injured when participated in a rally. So, Renault hired Kubica's former BMW Sauber teammate Nick Heidfeld instead. The car attracted attention for a radical exhaust system, with speculation suggesting that it could be routed under the floor to create a "forward blown diffuser" effect after the car was unveiled with no visible exhaust vents, though Renault did not confirm nor deny any technical developments except to state that the car had been the product of a twelve-month development cycle.^[4] It was suggested^[5] that several other teams were quick to adapt to the concept, with talk that the forward blown diffuser would be implemented on several cars for upcoming tests. It had been further implied^[6] that the exhaust system offered significant gains, as incorporating them is a complex process, requiring teams to rearrange the internal electronics of the car and undertaking strenuous side-impact tests to get the new parts approved. However, some key personnel from other teams – most notably Mercedes' Ross Brawn – downplayed the importance of the parts.^[7] The exhaust system became a major disadvantage as the season unfolded. The car suffered from low downforce on slower circuits, particularly Singapore. The system also made it extremely difficult to develop the car. After the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, designer James Allison admitted the forward exhaust concept rendered the R31 a 'failed experiment':

"The layout which had promised so much, and which, had it delivered, would have been almost impossible to copy, proved very tricky to develop and had a fundamental weakness in slow corners that has been an albatross around our neck all year. ^[8]

Martin Brundle described the forward-facing exhaust as "sounding like a bag of nails." However David Coulthard disproved this theory by buying a bag of nails.^[9]

Controversy

The car's distinctive black and gold livery was designed as a tribute to the Team Lotus cars of the 1980s and the famous John Player Special liveries (those cars also used Renault engines). Speculation suggested that as the design is reminiscent of a cigarette package, the team would be in violation of strict anti-tobacco laws in Canada and would be unable to use it at the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix. However, senior team personnel dismissed the claims,^[10] stating that "another famous team" was racing with colours similar to those of another tobacco brand and had done so in Canada without trouble in previous years. Ultimately, the car raced in Canada with no changes to its livery.

Season review

It was a solid début for the R31 with Vitaly Petrov qualifying sixth and then taking his first F1 podium in the opening round of 2011 in Melbourne. This was followed by an equal qualifying and race result for Nick Heidfeld in the Malaysian Grand Prix while teammate Petrov was launched in the air by a high kerb with a few laps remaining. In Malaysia, the Renault drivers wore golden overalls. This was to be the last of Renault's podiums though, and they remained fourth in the Constructors' Championship after Petrov's ninth in China and their first double points score in Turkey with seventh and eighth. Heidfeld's fire in Saturday Practice meant the car was badly damaged in the Spanish Grand Prix, and he had to start in twenty-fourth. The R31 was repaired by Sunday though, and Heidfeld charged to the points (eighth) and pushed teammate Petrov out of them (eleventh) in the process.

In Monaco Petrov crashed out from sixth place with 6 laps to go, knocking himself unconscious temporarily, and causing a red flag. Heidfeld still collected valuable points though, finishing in eighth again. In a wet Canadian Grand Prix, it was Heidfeld's turn to crash, this time from fourth; Petrov however, still took fifth by the end of the race. Heidfeld took points in both Valencia and Britain to keep them ahead of Mercedes for as long as possible, before they ended up fifth after the Silverstone race. Two retirements for Heidfeld followed in his final two races for the team in Germany and Hungary, both causing significant damage to the R31. With only a ninth in Germany for Petrov, at the team's first no score of the season in Hungary it was obvious development of the R31 was not fast enough and they were slipping backwards.

After the summer break, the car seemed to have rediscovered form in qualifying; with Heidfeld's replacement Bruno Senna qualifying seventh in mixed weather in Spa and Petrov tenth - and the pair the opposite way around in Monza. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for these races, with only two ninth places (and Senna's first points) from the pair of them. Things seemed dreadful for them in the Singapore Grand Prix, a track that definitely did not suit the car, because Petrov was knocked out in Q1 and Senna was only fifteenth in qualifying. Senna did not improve his position in the race, and Petrov moved up one place. This meant the team were struggling even to maintain their fifth place in the Constructors' Championship - sixth placed Force India had scored 36 points in the last four Grands Prix to Renault's 4, and were now only 22 points behind. Both Senna and Petrov returned to the top ten in qualifying in the Japanese Grand Prix, and after a close race with many other cars for the tail end of the points, Petrov eventually took ninth with Senna down in nineteenth. Three disappointing races followed in Korea, India and Abu Dhabi, where neither driver scored a point. Petrov finished tenth to score one point at the R31's final race, and 2011 season finale at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Senna failed to score points by finishing in seventeenth, yet Renault remained fifth in the Constructors' Championship standings with a best result of third place, albeit being 95 points behind Mercedes.

Complete Formula One results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	Points	WCC
2011	Lotus Renault GP	Renault RS27 V8	P		AUS	MAL	CHN	TUR	ESP	MON	CAN	EUR	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	SIN	JPN	KOR	IND	ABU	BRA	73	5th
				Nick Heidfeld	12	3	12	7	8	8	Ret	10	8	Ret	Ret
				Bruno Senna												13	9	15	16	13	12	16	17
				Vitaly Petrov	3	17 ^†	9	8	11	Ret	5	15	12	10	12	9	Ret	17	9	Ret	11	13	10

^† Driver failed to finish the race, but was classified as they had completed >90% of the race distance.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW in Formula One</span> Formula One activities of BMW

The German automobile manufacturer/brand BMW has been involved in Formula One in a number of capacities since the inauguration of the World Drivers' Championship in 1950. The company entered occasional races in the 1950s and 1960s, before building the BMW M12/13 inline-four turbocharged engine in the 1980s. This engine was the result of a deal between BMW and Brabham, which resulted in the team's chassis being powered by BMW engines from 1982 until 1987, a period in which Nelson Piquet won the 1983 championship driving a Brabham BT52-BMW. BMW also supplied the M12/13 on a customer basis to the ATS, Arrows, Benetton and Ligier teams during this period, with various degrees of success. In 1988, Brabham temporarily withdrew from the sport and BMW withdrew its official backing from the engines, which were still used by the Arrows team under the Megatron badge. Turbocharged engines were banned by the revised Formula One Technical Regulations for 1989, rendering the M12/13 obsolete.

Renault, a French automobile manufacturer, has been associated with Formula One as both team owner and engine manufacturer for various periods since 1977. In 1977, the company entered Formula One as a constructor, introducing the turbo engine to Formula One with its EF1 engine. In 1983, Renault began supplying engines to other teams. Although the Renault team had won races, it withdrew at the end of 1985. Renault engines continued to be raced until 1986.

Nick Lars Heidfeld is a German professional racing driver.

Robert Józef Kubica is a Polish racing and rally driver, competing for AF Corse in the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship and for AO by TF in the 2024 European Le Mans Series. He previously competed for Team WRT where he won the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship in the LMP2 class. He was the first and, as of 2024, only Polish racing driver to compete and win a race in Formula One.

Bruno Senna Lalli is a Brazilian former professional racing driver. He is the nephew of the late Ayrton Senna, three-time Formula One world champion. He is also the first driver to win a race in every class in the FIA World Endurance Championship, and was the 2017 WEC world champion in the LMP2 class.

Vitaly Aleksandrovich Petrov is a Russian racing driver who drove in Formula One for Renault F1 Team in 2010, Lotus Renault GP in 2011 and Caterham F1 Team in 2012. Born in Vyborg, he is known as the "Vyborg Rocket". He was the first Russian to compete in the Formula One World Championship.

The 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 64th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. Red Bull Racing won its maiden Constructors' Championship with a 1–2 finish in Brazil, while Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel won the Drivers' Championship after winning the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi. In doing so, Vettel became the youngest World Drivers' Champion in the 61-year history of the championship. Vettel's victory in the championship came after a dramatic season finale at Abu Dhabi where three other drivers could also have won the championship – Vettel's Red Bull Racing teammate Mark Webber, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.

The 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 65th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. The original calendar for the 2011 Formula One World Championship consisted of twenty rounds, including the inaugural running of the Indian Grand Prix before the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Pirelli returned to the sport as tyre supplier for all teams, taking over from Bridgestone, marking their return to Formula One for the first time since the 1991 season.

The 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 6 April 2008 at the Bahrain International Circuit, in Sakhir, Bahrain. It was the third race of the 2008 Formula One World Championship. Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team won the 57-lap race. Kimi Räikkönen was second in the other Ferrari, and BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica was third.

The 2008 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 27 April 2008 at the Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló, Spain. It was the fourth race of the 2008 Formula One World Championship. Kimi Räikkönen for the Ferrari team won the 66-lap race starting from pole position. Felipe Massa finished second in the other Ferrari, and Lewis Hamilton was third in a McLaren.

The 2008 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 22 June 2008 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, France. This race would be the last French Grand Prix for a decade, before returning in 2018 at Circuit Paul Ricard. The 70-lap race event, the eighth of the 2008 Formula One World Championship, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team starting from second position. Kimi Räikkönen, who started from pole position, finished second in the other Ferrari car; Jarno Trulli was third in a Toyota.

The 2008 Chinese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 19 October 2008 at the Shanghai International Circuit. It was the 17th and penultimate race of the 2008 Formula One World Championship. Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team won the 56-lap race from pole position. Ferrari driver Felipe Massa finished second, and Kimi Räikkönen was third in the other Ferrari.

The 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 14 March 2010 at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain. It was the seventh Bahrain Grand Prix and the opening round of the 2010 Formula One season. It was the first time since 2006 that Bahrain had hosted the opening round and the race took place on a lengthened layout of the track.

The 2010 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 27 June at the Valencia Street Circuit in Valencia, Spain. It was the ninth round of the 2010 Formula One World Championship. Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel won the 57-lap race from pole position. Lewis Hamilton finished second for the McLaren team and his teammate Jenson Button was third. It was Vettel's second win of the season, and the seventh of his Formula One career.

The 2010 Singapore Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 26 September 2010, at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Marina Bay, Singapore. It was the fifteenth race of the 2010 Formula One World Championship, and the third Singapore Grand Prix held as part of the Formula One World Championship. Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso won the 61-lap race from pole position. Sebastian Vettel finished second for Red Bull and his teammate Mark Webber was third.

The Renault R30 was a Formula One motor racing car designed and built by Renault for the 2010 season. The car was driven by Robert Kubica and rookie Vitaly Petrov. Test drivers were Ho-Pin Tung, Jérôme d'Ambrosio and Jan Charouz.

The Williams FW32 was a Formula One motor racing car made by Williams for the 2010 season and powered by the sport's brand-new entry-level Cosworth CA2010 engine. The car was driven by Rubens Barrichello and 2009 GP2 Series champion Nico Hülkenberg.

The 2011 Belgian Grand Prix, formally the 2011 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 28 August 2011, at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps near the village of Francorchamps, Wallonia, Belgium. It was the twelfth round of the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship and the 67th Belgian Grand Prix to be held. The 44-lap race was won by Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel, the drivers' championship leader, after starting from pole position. Vettel's teammate Mark Webber finished in second place, and Jenson Button completed the podium in third position for McLaren.

The 2011 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race that was held on 11 September 2011 at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in Italy. It was the thirteenth round of the 2011 Formula One season and was also the sixtieth time the Italian Grand Prix had been held at Monza. The 53-lap race was won by Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel, the World Drivers' Championship leader, after he started from pole position. Jenson Button finished in second place for McLaren, and Fernando Alonso completed the podium in third position for Ferrari.

The Caterham CT01 is a Formula One racing car produced by the British-based Caterham F1 Team which competed in the 2012 Formula One season. The car, designed under the leadership of the team's technical director Mike Gascoyne, chief designer Lewis Butler and head of aerodynamics Marianne Hinson, was the third car to be produced by the team and the first to carry the team's new name, following their renaming from Team Lotus at the end of 2011. The CT01 was the first car launched for the 2012 season, when an online launch initially planned for 26 January, was cancelled and the car was released a day earlier instead. The car was driven by Heikki Kovalainen and Vitaly Petrov, who replaced Jarno Trulli after the first test at Jerez.

References

↑ "Lotus Renault GP R31: Technical Specifications". lotusrenaultgp.com. Lotus Renault GP. 31 January 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
↑ "Renault to unveil R31 ahead of first test". Formula1.com. Formula One Administration. 6 January 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
↑ Noble, Jonathan (2011-01-25). "Petrov first to test new Renault". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications . Retrieved 2011-01-26.
↑ Noble, Jonathan (2011-01-31). "Renault: Long development time a boost". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications . Retrieved 2011-02-01.
↑ Jonathan Noble; Dieter Rencken (2011-02-01). "Renault confident in radical exhaust". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications . Retrieved 2011-02-03.
↑ Allen, James (2011-02-02). "Valencia Test: Day 2 – Ferrari and Alonso step up". James Allen on F1. James Allen. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
↑ Noble, Jonathan (2011-02-02). "Brawn: Forward exhausts not essential". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications . Retrieved 2011-02-03.
↑ "Renault admits its 2011 car and exhaust concept was a 'bold failure'". Autosport. November 19, 2011. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
↑ "Martin Brundle's Racing Lines - 2011 Races". Archived from the original on 2011-07-31. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
↑ Collantine, Keith (2011-01-31). "Lopez has no concerns over tobacco branding". F1 Fanatic. Keith Collantine. Retrieved 2011-02-01.

External links

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "Lotus Renault GP R31: Technical Specifications". lotusrenaultgp.com. Lotus Renault GP. 31 January 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2011.

[LRGP_R31-2] "Renault to unveil R31 ahead of first test". Formula1.com. Formula One Administration. 6 January 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2011.

[3] Noble, Jonathan (2011-01-25). "Petrov first to test new Renault". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications . Retrieved 2011-01-26.

[4] Noble, Jonathan (2011-01-31). "Renault: Long development time a boost". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications . Retrieved 2011-02-01.

[5] Jonathan Noble; Dieter Rencken (2011-02-01). "Renault confident in radical exhaust". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications . Retrieved 2011-02-03.

[6] Allen, James (2011-02-02). "Valencia Test: Day 2 – Ferrari and Alonso step up". James Allen on F1. James Allen. Retrieved 2011-02-03.

[7] Noble, Jonathan (2011-02-02). "Brawn: Forward exhausts not essential". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications . Retrieved 2011-02-03.

[8] "Renault admits its 2011 car and exhaust concept was a 'bold failure'". Autosport. November 19, 2011. Retrieved November 26, 2011.

[9] "Martin Brundle's Racing Lines - 2011 Races". Archived from the original on 2011-07-31. Retrieved 2012-01-09.

[10] Collantine, Keith (2011-01-31). "Lopez has no concerns over tobacco branding". F1 Fanatic. Keith Collantine. Retrieved 2011-02-01.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]