2018 Presentations: A Fairly Conventional Renault
The Renault R.S.18, which will compete in the 2018 season and will be on track for the return of the French Grand Prix, has been unveiled. Unlike the other single-seaters revealed so far, the machine from the Enstone factories doesn't feature many major technical developments.
The day is definitely particularly busy with the presentation of the Renault R.S.18 following that of the Sauber C37 at noon.
Unlike other Formula 1 cars we have seen so far, the Renault gives the impression of not having evolved much since last season. However, that doesn’t prevent us from noticing some technical solutions.
Firstly, the mounting points of the front wing are particularly thin to avoid creating a large obstacle to the airflow and to redirect it into an S-Duct. You can see the exit above the pilot’s number (see photos below).
(5) El morro del RS18 tiene los soportes mucho mas estrechos para aumentar la sección d paso flujo bajo del morro. Ala 2017 con puntas d flaps apuntando abajo para bajar vórtice Y250. Adoptan conducto S. pic.twitter.com/XFqlWE3B5u
— Albert Fabrega ES (@AlbertFabrega) 20 février 2018
The bargeboards are quite similar to last year’s, just like the side-pods which are slightly raised to allow more free space underneath the element for the airflow to circulate (see photos below).
(6) Los bargeboards derivados del 2017, igual q los direccionadores laterales. Han trabajado para minimizar entrada pontones, elevándola para dejar el max volumen libre debajo. No sorprende pic.twitter.com/zlZpKl4aBp
— Albert Fabrega ES (@AlbertFabrega) 20 février 2018
The halo has a rather conventional appearance, just like the central air intake, but nothing indicates that the single-seater won’t be slightly different next week for the start of winter testing (see photo below).
All looking conventional so far pic.twitter.com/CrTwJGC2Eq
— Craig Scarborough (@ScarbsTech) 20 février 2018
We can also notice that the engine cover is as compact as on the Red Bull and that the car does not have a T-Wing. The sleekness of the engine cover seems to show that the Renault engine has been improved in terms of cooling. It will be interesting to see if McLaren has adopted the same approach (see photos below).
(8) Renault ha trabajado bien la parte posterior para ajustar la carrocería a motor y cambio. Ala con platina y branquias abiertas y soporte central único. Sin ala d T inferior. pic.twitter.com/KdKkrWfJGU
— Albert Fabrega ES (@AlbertFabrega) 20 février 2018
Update: Renault, through Cyril Abiteboul, acknowledged that the car unveiled was far from the final version, as was observed today during a promotional filming session at the Barcelona circuit.
