Renault R27
Formula One racing car
title: "Renault R27" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["renault-formula-one-cars", "2007-formula-one-season-cars"] description: "Formula One racing car" topic_path: "general/renault-formula-one-cars" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_R27" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Formula One racing car ::
Car_name = Renault R27 | Image = [[File:Heikki Kovalainen 2007 Britain 2.jpg|260px]] |Caption=Heikki Kovalainen driving the R27 at the 2007 British Grand Prix| Category = Formula One | Constructor = Renault | Designer = Pat Symonds (Executive Engineer) Bob Bell (Technical Director) James Allison (Deputy Technical Director) Tim Densham (Chief Designer) Martin Tolliday (Deputy Chief Designer) Tad Czapski (Technology Director) Robin Tuluie (Head of R&D) Dino Toso (Head of Aerodynamics) Rob White (Engine Technical Director) Axel Plasse (Project Manager - Engine) | Predecessor = R26 | Successor = R28 | Team = ING Renault F1 Team | Drivers = 3. ITA Giancarlo Fisichella 4. FIN Heikki Kovalainen| Chassis = Carbon-fibre and aluminium honeycomb composite monocoque | Length = 4800 mm | Width = 1800 mm | Height = 950 mm | Wheelbase = 3100 mm | Track = 1450 mm (front) 1400 mm (rear) | Weight = 605 kg with driver, camera and ballast | Front suspension = Carbon-fibre double wishbone, with pushrod and rocker operated inboard torsion bar/damper units. | Rear suspension = Carbon-fibre double wishbone with gearbox-mounted vertical torsion bars and horizontal dampers. | Engine name = Mecachrome-built Renault RS27 | Capacity = 2.4 L | Configuration = V8 90° | Turbo/NA = naturally aspirated, | Engine position = mid engined, longitudinally-mounted | Power = 750 hp @ 19,000 rpm | Gearbox name = Renault | Gears = seven-speed + reverse | Type = instantaneous shift | Differential = | Fuel = Elf Atmo 98.5 RON | Lubricants = Elf Evolution 900 SXR | Tyres = Bridgestone | Debut = 2007 Australian Grand Prix | Last_event=2007 Brazilian Grand Prix| Races = 17| Wins = 0 | Cons_champ = 0 | Drivers_champ = 0 | Poles = 0 | Podiums=1| Fastest_laps = 0 | The Renault R27 is a Formula One racing car designed and produced by Renault for the 2007 Formula One season. The chassis was designed by Bob Bell, James Allison, Tim Densham and Dino Toso with Pat Symonds overseeing the design and production of the car as Executive Director of Engineering and Rob White leading the engine design. The car was driven by Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen.
It made its first public outing on 16 January 2007, at Jerez circuit after completing a short first test at Silverstone the week before.
Aerodynamics
The R27 is outwardly similar to the 2006 R26, with several aerodynamic modifications. The front wing design, for example, is very similar to the R26's. One unusual new feature is the placing of the rear view mirrors on the strakes on outer edge of the sidepod, following a concept introduced by Ferrari on their 2006 car (the 248 F1).
Despite the apparent similarities to its predecessor, the R27 did not emulate its results. The car proved to be relatively uncompetitive and the team slumped to fourth, generally being slower than Ferrari, McLaren, and BMW. The R27 failed to score any wins for the first time since 2002 and took only one podium, at the rain-soaked Japanese Grand Prix in the hands of rookie Heikki Kovalainen. In comparison, the R26 won on its debut and won the 2006 Constructors' and Drivers' championships. The team put the car's uncompetitive form down to an over-reliance on the team's wind tunnel which had shown incorrect readings for how the car would perform, aerodynamically, on the track. By the end of the year, the car was being out-paced by Renault-powered Red Bull, Williams, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Toyota and Honda. Many put this down to the team abandoning its development and focusing on the 2008 car.
Tyre adaptation and balance issues
Tyre manufacturer Michelin, with whom Renault had enjoyed back to back double championships in 2005 and 2006 had called time on its involvement in F1 at the end of the latter of those seasons, meaning Bridgestone would be the sole tyre supplier in the sport for 2007. ESPN suggested in a September 2007 article that Renault's struggle in adapting to using Bridgestone tyres having become used to using Michelin tyres was part of the reason for Renault's poor 2007, whilst Renault driver Giancarlo Fisichella suggested the car's biggest problem was the R27s' lack of front downforce.
Gearbox
The new seven-speed Instantaneous GearChange (ICG) gearbox is Renault's first attempt at a seamless shift gearbox. It proved to be very reliable with Kovalainen making only one retirement all season, which was due to an accident in the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Livery
The livery reflected the team's then-new title sponsor, the ING Group, and consisted of an assortment of colours including orange, white, yellow and dark blue. The colour scheme was not positively received by all Formula One fans, however.
An interim livery - dark blue and yellow - was used during early test sessions and at the car's official launch in Amsterdam on 24 January.
Gallery
Image:Renault RS27 engine 2007.jpg|Renault RS27 engine. Image:Fisichella R27 British GP 2007.JPG|Pre-race preparations for the 2007 British Grand Prix. Image:Giancarlo Fisichella 2007 Britain.jpg|Fisichella driving the R27 at the British Grand Prix. Image:Heikki Kovalainen 2007 Britain 2.jpg|Heikki Kovalainen driving the R27 at the British Grand Prix.
Complete Formula One results
(key) (results in bold indicate pole position) ::data[format=table]
| Year | Team | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renault | Renault V8 | AUS | MAL | BHR | ESP | MON | CAN | USA | FRA | GBR | EUR | HUN | TUR | ITA | BEL | JPN | CHN | BRA | 51 | 3rd | |||
| ITA Giancarlo Fisichella | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 4 | DSQ | 9 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 12 | Ret | 5 | 11 | Ret | ||||||
| FIN Heikki Kovalainen | 10 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 13† | 4 | 5 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 9 | Ret | ||||||
| :: |
References
Notes
References
- "Question Marque", Renault R27 launch article, [[Autosport magazine]], 25 January 2007
- Renault 'complacent' about wind tunnel, itv-f1.com, [[ITV Sport]], 20 July 2007
- (5 September 2007). "Knutson: Fisichella's lost season".
- link. (29 September 2007 , retrieved 24 January 2007)
- (16 January 2007). "New Renault breaks cover in Jerez".
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::