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What does Renault's R.S. 2027 concept say for Formula 1's future?

What does the future of Formula 1 hold? Notoriously, the championship pays great attention to the short-term, and trying to predict where it may be in the next decade might just be a little optimistic

Regardless, that's exactly what Renault's concept artists have done. The French marque has dusted off the crystal ball to create the R.S. 2027 Vision, its interpretation of what F1 might look like in 10 years' time. How plausible is it?

Let's delve into Renault's designs and try to make sense of it all.

The most striking feature is that it's simple. Compare this to a current F1 car, in which tiny, intricate aerodynamic pieces are appended to as many places as possible, and the R.S. 2027 Vision is refreshingly uncluttered.

This should, taking into account murmurings about "dirty air" currently, help drivers catch and follow other cars on track.

In lieu of complicated flow conditioners and winglets, the concept features active aerodynamics. The rear wing is fully retractable - much like those seen on high-performance road cars - and replaces the much-maligned Drag Reduction System, which should placate the purists.

At the front, the flaps on the wing assembly also appear to retract, trimming off drag in high-speed situations to improve overall top speed.

The front wing assembly is mounted to the car with a single pylon, which acts as a keel for the suspension wishbones to attach onto. It also attaches to the floor, which extends along the length of the nose to ensure predictable airflow underneath the car.

Active suspension is also included on the R.S. 2027 Vision, allowing Renault to programme changes in ride height, yaw and pitch in order to meet the demands of any given circuit.

Banned for the 1994 season, there have been recent calls for F1 to allow active suspension's return, for which this design would be well poised to cope with.

Other recent rumblings have involved head protection, and Renault has envisaged its 2027 design with a full polycarbonate canopy to protect the driver.

This canopy has been kept as low as possible to help airflow move smoothly over the car and minimise the impact of turbulence on the rear wing.

Hinge-mounted to one of the sidepods, the canopy screen opens from left to right to provide the driver with plenty of space to leave the cockpit. This canopy is paired with two titanium bars, which lift the car if it rolls over, creating enough room for driver egress.

Renault has not only considered accessibility for the driver, but also for fans watching the the R.S. 2027 Vision race.

Both the canopy and the driver safety cell are as transparent as possible, putting the focus back on the drivers, as the viewer can watch them working hard at the wheel.

The monocoque chassis is reinforced with a honeycomb core to maximise resistance to impact, keeping the driver as safe as possible.

Under the shell, Renault has blended the technology it uses in F1 and Formula E to create a truly hybrid power unit, which it says produces a maximum power output of one megawatt (more than 1300bhp).

With a V6 internal combustion engine similar to those currently used in F1, Renault has added two 250kW motors to serve as a more powerful Kinetic Energy Recovery System.

Taking advantage of the larger-capacity batteries that will be used in Formula E from the 2018/19 season, energy recovered under braking can be stored within. This can be used both on-track or, as the car has also been designed to work in an all-electric mode, within the pits.

To make the most of this colossal amount of power, Renault has kept the wide tyres brought into F1 for this year, although with a significantly lower profile.

Low-profile tyres are a lot less prone to flexing under load, allowing the driver to take corners at higher speeds with more confidence.

The downside is that car responds more to bumps, but the inclusion of active suspension is able to offset this to provide more consistent handling.

Combining the massive power, the huge tyres and a total weight of just 600kg, this car would be brilliantly quick on every part of the track.

Like any forward-looking Formula 1 concept, the R.S. 2027 Vision is certainly a flight of fancy design, but also draws heavily on predictions of where automotive technology might be in 10 years' time.

Highly complex suspension systems currently exist in road cars, but a high-performance machine like this would benefit from a few years of development within a category like F1.

Altogether, the design is very plausible, and in particular the power unit concept is a beefed-up version of what we have today.

Whether F1 will persist in its current direction remains to be seen, but whatever the next decade holds you can be sure that the cars will still be incredibly impressive. Renault's concept certainly is.

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