The R.S. 2027 Vision trial race car has premiered in Shanghai.
Renault
Renault revealed to the public in Shanghai what it believes the race car could look like in the future. With its long, straight nose, side pods and free standing wheels, the R.S. 2027 Vision can immediately be recognised as a Formula 1 monoposto. The hybrid generates its power with an internal combustion engine and a 500 kW/680 bhp recuperation system for kinetic energy with two units in the front and the rear. The trial car has all-wheel drive and active aerodynamics. It has a total weight of 600 kilos with a power output of one megawatt. This corresponds to 1,360 bhp.
Communication with the spectators
Renault’s developers have focused on greater transparency and more direct communication with the fans. This should allow the action in the vehicle and on the race track to be more tangible and will be achieved with a transparent cockpit that allows the driver to be seen. The light and robust shell is created by a 3D printer and tailored to the driver’s body contours. Just as the cockpit shows the driver in action, a transparent helmet should allow his face to be seen. The driver knows his current position in the fan ranking via a display in the middle of the steering wheel. The ranking is determined in social media and can influence the final result depending on the race. The driver who is highly ranked with the audience will get an extra power boost in the final laps, as in today’s Formula E.
LED lights on the wheels are intended to make the race more intensive for spectators. They will show the race position, the available energy resources and the respective driving mode. Similarly, certain telemetry data can be viewed online by the fans, which should help make each driver’s tactics easier to understand.
Autonomous driving mode
The trial car has an autonomous driving mode that will automatically take over the control of the vehicle if an accident occurs, the safety car is called or the yellow flag is shown. By preventing overtaking and reducing the car speed to the speed limit, the drivers and the track marshals should be better protected.
A higher level of safety will also be ensured by the vehicles networking among each other (vehicle-to-vehicle communication = V2V). The driver will therefore know where each competitor is on the track or if he is in the pit lane. Similarly, the pit lane collision warning system will be informed and can prevent the teams from sending a car back on the track while another vehicle is driving by at high speed.
The car is also networked with external systems (vehicle-to-everything communication = V2X) in this way. For example, the driver can see instructions from the racing director on the steering wheel display, such as yellow or blue flags. There is also a direct link to the track marshals in the section where the vehicle is currently located.