Renault RS27 engine powering the Renault R27 chassis

Renault R27 chassis

Chassis
Moulded carbon fibre and aluminium honeycomb composite monocoque, manufactured by the Renault F1 Team and designed for maximum strength and stiffness with minimum weight. Engine installed as a fully-stressed member.

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

Rear suspension
Carbon fibre top and bottom wishbones operating vertically-mounted torsion bars and horizontally-mounted damper units mounted on the top of the gearbox casing.

Transmission
Seven-speed semi-automatic titanium gearbox with one reverse gear. Instantaneous gearchange system for maximum performance.

Fuel system
Kevlar-reinforced rubber fuel cell by ATL.

Cooling system
Separate oil and water radiators located in the car's sidepods and cooled using airflow from the car's forward motion

Electrical
Integrated Step 11 chassis/engine electronics and software co-developed by Renault F1 Team and Magneti Marelli.

Braking system
Carbon discs and pads (Hitco); calipers by AP Racing

Cockpit
Removable driver's seat made of anatomically formed carbon composite, with six-point harness seat belt. Steering wheel integrates gear change and clutch paddles.

Car dimensions and weight
Front track 1450 mm
Rear track 1400 mm
Wheelbase 3100 mm
Overall length 4800 mm
Overall height 950 mm
Overall width 1800 mm
Overall weight 605 kg, with driver, camera and ballast.

Principal Modifications

The R27 represents an aggressive evolution of the design philosophy that has won world championships for Renault in 2005 and 2006.

Stable chassis regulations mean performance gains are becoming increasingly difficult to find, and more radical solutions – such as the sidepod treatment of the R27 – are required.

The R27 will feature an instantaneous gearchange (IGC) gearbox for the first time. This technology has already been run by other teams, but will make its track debut in Melbourne. The unit has already completed thousands of kilometres of reliability running in a hybrid car, with promising results.

The R27 will be the first Renault F1 car to run on Bridgestone tyres. With the same specification of tyre available to all competitors, the onus is on the teams to exploit the tyres in the most effective manner possible. With this in mind, the R27 has been designed to be more adjustable in terms of weight distribution and other dynamic characteristics, in order to provide the trackside engineering teams with maximum flexibility in tuning the car.

Renault RS27 Engine

Capacity 2400 cc
Architecture 90° V8
Weight   95 kg
Max rpm  19,000 rpm
Spark plugs  Champion
ECU  Magneti Marelli Step 11
Fuel   Elf
Oil  Elf
Battery  Renault F1 Team


Principal Modifications

The RS27 is a modified version of the RS26 V8 engine that completed the 2006 Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix in Fernando Alonso's car.


All modifications to the engine have been carried out in accordance with Appendix 4 of the 2007 Formula One Sporting Regulations. These modifications have been carried out in order to optimise the engine's performance for the maximum rev limit of 19,000 rpm imposed by the regulations.


A detailed list of the planned modifications was submitted to the FIA by 15 December 2006, and an example of the definitive, homologated engine will be delivered by 1 March 2007.

Appendix 4 of the Formula One Sporting Regulations indicated that modifications could be made to the following areas in order to re-optimise the engine for the new rev limit:

- Inlet and exhaust ports
- Combustion chamber
- Inlet and exhaust camshafts (including followers)
- Inlet and exhaust valves
- Piston shape and squirt jets
- Piston pins
- Connecting rod small ends and bearings
- Big end bearings and oil flow rate to them

Modifications were also permitted to engine installation on condition that these brought no direct performance benefit.


Identical specification RS27 engines will be supplied to ING Renault F1 Team and to Red Bull Racing for the 2007 season and beyond.