The Anatomy Of A 1980s Turbo F1 Car
evo India|July 2020
Formula 1 in the ’80s is remembered for the advent of turbochargers and ever‑increasing power figures, and one car more than any other typified the sport in that era – the Williams‑Honda FW11
Adam Towler
The Anatomy Of A 1980s Turbo F1 Car

It’s impossible not to admire Renault’s sheer chutzpah. When France’s national car company decided to go motor racing in the ’70s, it threw itself headlong into the new and mysterious world of turbocharging rather than taking the conventional route. It began publicly in sportscar racing during 1976, and its 2-litre, V6-powered home-grown prototype would score an emotional win at Le Mans in 1978, but in 1977, at the British Grand Prix, it started arguably an even bigger challenge: to win in Formula 1.

The Renault RS01, with its little 1.5-litre, iron-block, single-turbo EF1 V6, was a staggeringly bold entry, for not only was Renault taking up the 1.5-litre forced induction option ignored by all and sundry, it was also building its own chassis and running its own team in-house (no buying a British-based team wholesale here), with a patriotic ensemble that included Elf fuel, French drivers and Michelin tyres, the last of those introducing radial construction to F1.

Many in F1 laughed when the RS01 first appeared. Ken Tyrrell called it a teapot because it frequently blew up in a cloud of white smoke. Turbo lag could be measured with a calendar, and the chassis, kept simple so there was less to worry about, was correspondingly unspectacular and overweight. The engine made around 500bhp: largely comparable with the outputs of the opposition’s 3-litre naturally aspirated V8s and V12s, but nowhere near enough to offset the disadvantages inherent to its design – yet.

Bu hikaye evo India dergisinin July 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye evo India dergisinin July 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

EVO INDIA DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
evo India

FAST STEAD

This Skoda Octavia RS 230 is fast enough to blow your mind but not its engine

time-read
3 dak  |
August 2021
Ford Fusion
evo India

Ford Fusion

Practical, great engine and dynamics, but weird styling ensured buyers stayed well away

time-read
2 dak  |
August 2021
evo India

Mahindra Bolero Neo

Armed with an iconic badge, a fresh face and a mechanically locking differential, the Bolero Neo could just be the compact SUV you’ve been looking for

time-read
5 dak  |
August 2021
evo India

RISING FROM THE ASHES

The third generation Suzuki Hayabusa is one of the fastest production motorcycles in the world, and a bike that truly deserves to be ridden flat out at the High Speed Track at NATRAX

time-read
7 dak  |
August 2021
BIJOY KUMAR Y
evo India

BIJOY KUMAR Y

Bijoy is quite looking forward to what the recent space launches could mean

time-read
3 dak  |
August 2021
evo India

DOA: HSV HRT 427

This racing-inspired 7-litre Holden Monaro garnered more than enough interest for its limited production run to sell out. But sadly the sums didn’t add up

time-read
2 dak  |
August 2021
evo India

Mini Cooper S Convertible

Mini gives the Convertible a more modern front end, more technology on the inside and a very bright paint scheme

time-read
5 dak  |
August 2021
evo India

VW Taigun GT

Good news! With two GT variants, Volkswagen are set to make the 1.5 TSI motor even more accessible to us enthusiasts

time-read
8 dak  |
August 2021
THE DOCTOR CHECKS OUT
evo India

THE DOCTOR CHECKS OUT

As Rossi decides to hang up his boots after 26 seasons, we take a look back at his journey through MotoGP

time-read
2 dak  |
August 2021
“IF THE RATING IS DONE, NATRAX COULD BE ONE OF THE TOP THREE PROVING GROUNDS IN THE WORLD”
evo India

“IF THE RATING IS DONE, NATRAX COULD BE ONE OF THE TOP THREE PROVING GROUNDS IN THE WORLD”

Speaking to Dr N Karuppaiah, additional director and centre head, NATRAX

time-read
4 dak  |
August 2021