Formula Renault

The most senior Formula Renault was the Formula Renault V6 Eurocup, started by Renault to run as part of Eurosport's Super Racing Weekends (ETCC and FIA GT Championship). Only two seasons were run, between 2003 and 2004, before Renault left Super Racing Weekends and merged the series with the similar World Series by Nissan to create the Formula Renault 3.5 Series as part of the World Series by Renault in 2005. In 2016 the series became the World Series Formula V8 3.5, which folded in 2017. Formula V6 Asia started in 2006 and ran at Asian Festival of Speed weekends (Touring Car, Formula BMW and Porsche Carrera Cup Asia).

The old Eurocup and the Asian formula used Tatuus chassis, while the World Series used Dallara cars, with Michelin as tyre supplier. The car used the Renault Type V4Y RS, a 60° V6 of 3498 cc producing 425–500 hp; from 2012 it used a Zytek ZRS03 V8 of 3396 cc producing 530 hp. The chassis was a carbon-fibre monocoque with carbon and fibreglass bodywork — 1850 mm (72.8") maximum width, a 3000–3125 mm wheelbase, a front track of 1579 mm and rear track of 1536 mm, and a weight of 616 kg — with a 110-litre fuel capacity and a six-speed sequential gearbox. A Pan Am Formula Renault V6 series was planned for 2005 but never took place.

Formula Renault 2.0 descended from Formula France, created in 1968. Its predecessors used 1.3 L (1968–1971), 1.6 L (1972–1981), 1.6 L turbo (1982–1988), 1,721 cc (1989–1994), and 2 L 8V (1995–1999) engines in single-seater chassis. The series evolved in 2000 into a 2 L 16V series using one-make cars from the Italian manufacturer Tatuus. It was introduced into the UK in 1989, and even after the 1,721 cc cars were replaced at the top level, a club-level series for them continued in parallel with the more ambitious 2.0 series. Formula Renault 2.0 is seen as one of the key steps in a driver's career before Formula Three. The most notable recent graduate of the formula is Kimi Räikkönen, who moved straight into Formula One after winning the British Formula Renault championship.

The 1995–1999 Formula Renault 95 used multiple chassis, production 2.0-litre 8V 165 hp engines and Hewland five-speed manual gearboxes; manufacturers could build cars around spec components such as the engine, bellhousing, gearbox, brakes, wheels and ECU. Chassis were steel space-frame with fibreglass bodies, built by Mygale, Martini, Swift, Tatuus and Ermolli, and the car was last used in 1999.

The 2000–2009 Formula Renault 2000 had a Tatuus-made chassis running 2.0 L Renault Clio engines attached to a Sadev gearbox. The engine originally produced a maximum of 185 hp, upgraded to 210 hp in 2006. The car could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (0–62 mph) in 4.85 seconds and brake from 200 km/h (124 mph) to a stop in 4.60 seconds. The Tatuus Formula Renault car is described as the most successful single-seater ever, with 10 years of service and nearly 1,000 sold, and produced many Formula One stars — 11 of the 25 drivers in the 2009 Formula One season had used the car early in their careers. Its chassis was a carbon-fibre cell designed and developed by Tatuus and Renault Sport, incorporating an FIA-approved roll hoop and lateral driver's head protection; both chassis and engine were of an FIA-approved "impact break-away" design. It was introduced in 2000 and updated with new bodywork in 2004 and 2007. The sealed 16-valve, four-cylinder Renault Sport F4R FRS engine displaced 1998 cc, with a maximum output of 192 bhp (143 kW) at 6,500 rpm and 159 lb·ft of torque at 5,500 rpm, fed through a Sadev six-speed sequential gearbox with a limited-slip differential and a hydraulic clutch. The minimum weight was 490 kg without driver / 565 kg with driver. Brakes were four-pot calipers with ventilated discs and Ferodo pads with cockpit-adjustable bias; tyres were Michelin control, with exceptions of Kumho in Asia (since 2002), Pirelli in Brazil (2002–2006) and Yokohama in North America (since 2004), on OZ wheels.

From the 2010 season, a new car developed by Barazi-Epsilon (the EB01 A) was used in most major championships, with the old car still used in minor championships such as Formula Renault BARC in the UK. Its main changes were a 2.0 L Renault F4R 832 engine with maximum output raised to 210 bhp (160 kW) and a seven-speed sequential gearbox.

Two sorts of Formula Renault 2.0 championships exist: regular championships and Winter Series, an off-season championship usually held between November and February with few races. In 2005, all series names were changed from Formula Renault 2000 to Formula Renault 2.0, and an Uruguayan 2.0 L series is also held. A majority of Formula Renault champions have gone on to successful careers in motor racing, most notably Alain Prost, who won the Formula One World Championship four times; other drivers include Didier Pironi, Kimi Räikkönen, Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton, all of whom went on to win Grands Prix.

The Formula Renault 1.6L series was open to drivers between 14 and 21 years old who had previously raced in karting series. The cars use K4M 1598 cc Renault engines. In the Belgium 2007 championship, Karline Stala became the first ever woman to win a single-seater championship; she was invited to test the Formula Renault 3.5L at Circuit Paul Ricard in November 2007, like the best 2.0 L and 3.5 L drivers.

Argentina organises several Formula Renault championships distinct from its official 2.0 L series: Fórmula Renault Plus (since 2007, Renault Clio K4M 1598 cc engine), Fórmula Renault Interprovincial (since 2007, 1,397 cc engine from the Renault 12 T.S Break), Fórmula 4 Nacional (2007, Renault K4M 1598 cc with lower power than the official 1.6 L series), Fórmula 4 Metropolitana (since 2008, Renault K4M 1598 cc, replacing Fórmula 4 Nacional), and Fórmula Super Renault (Dallara, Reynard, Ralt or TOM'S chassis with Renault 21, 18 or F3R 2.0 L engine; not held in 2005 due to low participation).

In 2008 the Formula 2000 Light was created in Italy, using Tatuus Formula Renault or Formula Three chassis, and the LATAM Challenge Series was introduced in Latin America. The Austria Formel Renault Cup has been held since 2007 in Central Europe, organised with the Austria Formula 3 Cup and using the 2.0 L Renault formulas, and the Formule Renault 2.0 North European Zone was also introduced in 2008. 2008 was the first and last season of Formula Asia 2.0, which aimed to bring more racing to the Asian region; it used Renault engines with constructor Tatuus and ran on Michelin tyres.

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