The RS10 was designed by François Castaing, Michel Têtu, and Marcel Hubert as a direct evolution of the earlier RS01, which had served primarily as a development platform for Renault's 1.5-litre turbocharged engine. Jean-Pierre Jabouille, who combined an engineering background with his role as the team's lead driver, had worked to develop the turbo program through the 1977, 1978, and early 1979 seasons. During that period the RS01 had attracted ridicule in the paddock, earning the nickname "Yellow Teapot" for its habit of retiring in a haze of smoke.
Where the RS10 departed decisively from its predecessor was in adopting twin turbochargers, a six-speed transmission, and an entirely new ground effect chassis. These changes transformed the car from a demonstration of principle into a genuine Grand Prix contender. The engine was the Renault Gordini twin-turbo 1.5-litre V6.
The RS10 was introduced at the 1979 Spanish Grand Prix, approximately a third of the way through the season. Initially only a single car was available for Jabouille, and it retained the single turbocharger of the RS01. By the Monaco Grand Prix a second car was ready for René Arnoux, and the twin-turbo configuration was deployed for the first time.
Reliability continued to cause problems, but the pace of the car commanded attention. Through the final eight races of the season the RS10 achieved five pole positions. The defining moment came at the French Grand Prix at Dijon-Prenois, where Jabouille won in front of his home crowd in a car that was entirely French — chassis, engine, tyres supplied by Michelin, and fuel from Elf. Arnoux fought a celebrated wheel-to-wheel battle with Gilles Villeneuve in the closing laps for second place, a duel widely regarded as one of the most dramatic in the sport's history. It was Jabouille's personal reward for three years of work that had produced few results and considerable mockery from rivals.
The RS10 set in motion a cascade of development programs that reshaped Formula One. Ferrari and Brabham, using BMW engines, quickly committed to turbo programs in the early 1980s, followed by McLaren with TAG-Porsche engines and Williams with Honda power. By the middle of the decade all major teams were running turbocharged cars. The power outputs escalated dramatically: by 1986 the four-cylinder BMW engine was reported to produce around 1,400 horsepower in qualifying specification, with Renault's V6 quoted at approximately 1,300 horsepower.
Regulatory responses followed. Turbo boost was restricted to 4.0 bar in 1987 and 2.5 bar in 1988, before turbocharged engines were banned outright from 1989. Renault itself never won a Drivers' or Constructors' Championship as a constructor using the technology, though the team achieved two runner-up positions. The RS10, with its predecessor the RS01, is regarded as one of the most consequential Grand Prix cars ever built.