Renault R27
The Renault R27 was Renault’s Formula One car for the 2007 season. The chassis was designed by Bob Bell, James Allison, Tim Densham and Dino Toso, with Pat Symonds overseeing the project and Rob White leading the engine work. It was driven by Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen, and it had its first public appearance on January 16, 2007 at Jerez after a short test at Silverstone.
The R27 looked similar to the 2006 R26 but featured several aerodynamic updates. A notable detail was the mirrors mounted on the edge of the sidepod strakes, a concept from Ferrari’s 2006 car. It used a Mecachrome-built Renault RS27 2.4 L V8 engine and a seven-speed, instantaneous-shift gearbox. The car weighed about 605 kg with driver and ballast. It proved less competitive than Ferrari, McLaren and BMW, finishing fourth in the Constructors’ Championship with no race wins and only one podium, achieved by Kovalainen in Japan. Renault attributed part of the trouble to relying too much on wind-tunnel data, which gave inaccurate aerodynamic readings, and to the switch to Bridgestone tyres after Michelin left F1.
The R27’s livery featured the ING Renault F1 Team colors—orange, white, yellow and dark blue—with an interim blue-and-yellow scheme used in early testing and at the launch. The car’s seven-speed ICG gearbox was generally reliable, apart from a retirement in Brazil due to an accident.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 21:34 (CET).