Renault R.S.16

Renault R.S.16
	The Renault R.S.16, driven by Jolyon Palmer, during the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Category	Formula One
Constructor	Renault
Designer(s)	Bob Bell (Chief Technical Officer); Nick Chester (Chassis Technical Director); (Engineering Director); (Chief Designer); (Project Leader); (Head of Aerodynamics); Jon Tomlinson (Chief Aerodynamicist)
Predecessor	Lotus E23 Hybrid - Lotus Engineering ; Renault R31 - Renault branded
Successor	Renault R.S.17
Technical specifications
Chassis	Carbon-fibre honeycomb composite survival cell
Length	5,088 mm (200 in)
Width	1,800 mm (71 in)
Height	950 mm (37 in)
Wheelbase	Over 3,100 mm (122 in)
Engine	Mecachrome-built Renault R.E.16 turbocharged 1.6 L (98 cu in) V6 engine (90°), limited to 15,000 RPM in a mid-mounted, rear-wheel drive layout
Electric motor	infiniti kinetic and thermal energy recovery systems
Transmission	In-house Renault semi-automatic sequential gearbox with eight forward and one reverse gear
Weight	702 kg (1,548 lb) including driver
Fuel	Total Excellium 102 RON 94.25% + 5.75% biofuel
Lubricants	Total Quartz 9000 and Elf HTX 840
Brakes	Carbon discs with steel calipers
Tyres	Pirelli P Zero (dry), Cinturato (wet)
Competition history
Notable entrants	Renault Sport F1 Team
Notable drivers	20. Kevin Magnussen; 30. Jolyon Palmer
Debut	2016 Australian Grand Prix

The Renault R.S.16 was a Formula One racing car designed by the Renault Sport Formula One Team to compete in the 2016 Formula One season,^[2] and marked Renault's return to the sport as a constructor after a five-year absence. The chassis was designed by Nick Chester, Chris Cooney, Martin Tolliday and Nicolas Hennel with Bob Bell overseeing the design and production of the car as chief technical officer and Rémi Taffin leading the powertrain design. The car was built in Enstone in Oxfordshire with the engine supplied from Viry-Châtillon in France. It was driven by former McLaren driver Kevin Magnussen and 2014 GP2 Series champion Jolyon Palmer.^[3] Renault chairman Carlos Ghosn declared that they would not win in 2016, but wanted to in the future.^[4] The Renault R.S.16 was based on the previous season's Lotus E23 Hybrid car.

Season summary[]

After two poor years for the Enstone outfit, 2016 proved to be a disaster for the team, as the car was slow and unreliable. This is partly due to the restructuring of the team, following its transition from Lotus which suffered from financial issues and poor management. The poor results were also caused by an outdated chassis; it suffered from aerodynamic problems, the chassis had few updates from the previous year and it was fitted with the inferior Renault R.E.16 power unit, compared to the leading Mercedes PU106B power unit in 2015. This prevented the team from being competitive and the R.S.16 often ended up near the back of the grid.

Renault finished ninth in the Constructors' Championship, scoring just 8 points throughout the whole season. This was the worst season for the Enstone team since the 2014 season and the worst season for Renault as a constructor since the 1978 season.

The R.S.16 in testing livery during pre-season testing in Barcelona

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	20	21	Points	WCC
2016	Renault Sport F1 Team	Renault RE16 1.6 V6t	P		AUS	BHR	CHN	RUS	ESP	MON	CAN	EUR	AUT	GBR	HUN	GER	BEL	ITA	SIN	MAL	JPN	USA	MEX	BRA	ABU	8	9th
				Kevin Magnussen	12	11	17	7	15	Ret	16	14	14	17†	15	16	Ret	17	10	Ret	14	12	17	14	Ret
				Jolyon Palmer	11	DNS	22	13	13	Ret	Ret	15	12	Ret	12	19	15	Ret	15	10	12	13	14	Ret	17