Renault R202

Renault's return as a full team, driven by Button and Trulli.

The Renault R202 was the car with which the Renault team competed in the 2002 Formula One World Championship. It was the first Renault Formula One car following the French manufacturer's rebranding of the Benetton team. The car was driven by Briton Jenson Button and Italian Jarno Trulli. The test driver was Spaniard Fernando Alonso.

Quick Facts

Constructor: Renault F1 Team
Season: 2002 Formula One World Championship
Drivers: Jenson Button, Jarno Trulli
Engine: Renault RS22 V10
Chassis material: Carbon fibre composite
Notable achievement: First season for Renault as a full constructor since 1985

Lore & Background

Keeping the tradition of the chassis naming by Benetton, Renault named the car R202. The R202 was launched in Paris, France on 27 January 2002. The chassis was designed by Mike Gascoyne with support from Bob Bell, Tim Densham, John Iley and Pat Symonds. The R202 featured Renault's RS22 V10 engine with a 111° cylinder bank angle and an output of 825 hp at 17,500 rpm. It used Michelin tyres.

Reader's Guide

The season started poorly in Australia; both Button and Trulli were eliminated due to collisions, and by Lap 9 had no runners in the field. Trulli retired from the next two Grand Prix, while Button finished fourth in both and fifth in San Marino. At Monaco, Trulli scored a fourth-place finish, and in Canada a sixth. The R202's only double points finish came at the Italian Grand Prix. The car took Renault to fourth place in the World Constructors Championship with 23 points. Button scored 14 points, Trulli 9. The R202 scored no podiums.