Renault had acquired the Benetton Formula team at the end of 2001, completing a transformation that turned an engine supplier relationship into a full works entry. The chassis naming convention inherited from Benetton continued, with the new car designated R202. It was launched in Paris on 27 January 2002, featuring a pale blue livery with prominent yellow streaks for returning lead sponsor Mild Seven — though in markets where tobacco advertising was restricted, the Mild Seven branding was replaced with "Blue World."
Button was retained from the final Benetton season. Trulli joined from Jordan. The test driver was Fernando Alonso, who had signed from Minardi and whose potential was already highly regarded within the team.
The chassis was designed by Mike Gascoyne with support from Bob Bell, Tim Densham, John Iley, and Pat Symonds. Aerodynamically it was an evolution of the 2001 car, refined through extensive wind tunnel testing. At its core was the Renault RS22 V10 engine, distinguished by a unique 111-degree cylinder bank angle — wider than convention — which produced a lower centre of gravity than any other Formula One engine at the time. The RS22 delivered 825 hp at 17,500 rpm. The car ran on Michelin tyres, an agreement in place from the team's first season under Renault colours.
The season opened poorly at the Australian Grand Prix, where both Button and Trulli were eliminated in separate collisions before the race had passed lap nine. The early rounds established a pattern: Button showed consistent pace and point-scoring ability, while Trulli struggled with mechanical reliability, retiring from three consecutive races before scoring a fourth-place finish at Monaco.
Button achieved a fifth-place finish in both Malaysia and San Marino. At the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, both drivers scored points in the same race — the R202's only double-points finish of the season — despite neither having qualified in the top ten.
Trulli's six-race scoring record across the season amounted to 9 points, against Button's 14. The combined 23 points placed Renault fourth in the Constructors' Championship, with Button seventh and Trulli eighth in the Drivers' standings. No podiums were scored — the first time since the 1985 Toleman season that the organisation had gone a full year without a top-three finish.
The R202 was Button's last car at Renault. He departed at season's end for British American Racing, a move that would eventually lead to a World Championship. Alonso, meanwhile, was elevated to the race seat alongside Trulli for 2003, beginning the progression that would deliver back-to-back drivers' titles for Renault in 2005 and 2006. The R202 is therefore remembered as a transitional car — the vehicle that completed the rebranding exercise and re-established Renault's presence as a constructor, even if the results on track were modest.