Celebrating 30 years since Renault’s first victory in Formula One

30 years ago today, Jean-Pierre Jabouille won the French Grand Prix to record Renault’s first victory in Formula One.

We look back on some of the key milestones of Renault’s adventure at the pinnacle of motor sport.

1976 Renault’s F1 programme is born in Viry-Châtillon

1977 (May) The RS01 is officially presented to the world on the Champs Elysées

1977 (July) First race in Formula One at Silverstone with Jabouille behind the wheel

1978 The team scores its first points in the United States Grand Prix

1979 Jabouille scores the first victory for Renault in the French Grand Prix

1980 Renault leads the championship after three races but finally finishes the season in fourth position

1981 & 1982 Renault finishes third in the championship

1984 Renault separates its engine and chassis operations: engines are conceived in Viry and chassis in Evry

1985 Formula One activity ends for Renault, but a small development cell remains in Viry

1989 Renault produces the first 3.5L V10 engine in Formula One and wins two races as engine supplier to Williams

1992 Williams-Renault wins the constructors’ title and Nigel Mansell secures the drivers’ title

1995 Renault engines power the Williams and Benetton teams, winning 16 of the season’s 17 races, which included a famous 1-2-3-4 finish for French engines in Magny-Cours

1997 After sharing in five drivers’ titles and six constructors’ titles, Renault’s official involvement as an engine supplier comes to an end

2002 Renault makes its return to the sport as a full manufacturer team

2003 Victory in Hungary with Fernando Alonso marks Renault’s first victory since returning to the sport.

2004 Renault finishes third in the constructors’ championship

2005 Renault wins the constructors’ title and the drivers’ title with Fernando Alonso

2006 Renault successfully defends its constructors’ title and Fernando Alonso his drivers’ crown

2007 The team finishes third in the constructors’ championship.

2008 After a difficult start to the season, the team fights back strongly to win two races.

Thirty years on and very little has changed. The hunger for a technical challenge and passion for the sport still remain the vital ingredients of Renault’s success in F1.