Editing Renault in Formula One (section)

==== Monaco glory and third in Constructors' Championship (2004) ====
[[File:Fernando Alonso 2004 USA.jpg|thumbnail|left|[[Fernando Alonso]] driving for Renault at the [[2004 United States Grand Prix]].]]
In {{F1|2004}}, the team were contenders for second place in the Constructors' Championship. Trulli won the [[2004 Monaco Grand Prix|Monaco Grand Prix]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Petric|first=Darjan|date=23 May 2021|title=2004 Monaco GP – Trulli wins to stop Schumacher's winning streak|url=https://maxf1.net/en/2004-monaco-gp-trulli-wins-to-stop-schumachers-winning-streak/|access-date=10 September 2021|website=MAXF1net|language=en-US}}</ref> but his relationship with Renault (particularly with team principal and Trulli's ex-manager [[Flavio Briatore]]) deteriorated after he was consistently off the pace in the latter half of the year, and made claims of favouritism in the team towards Alonso (though the two teammates themselves remained friendly).

Commentators regularly point to the [[2004 French Grand Prix|French Grand Prix]] as the final straw for Briatore, where Trulli was overtaken by [[Rubens Barrichello]] in the final stages of the last lap, costing Renault a double podium finish at their home Grand Prix.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Petric|first=Darjan|date=4 July 2021|title=2004 French GP – Schumacher beats Alonso with four pitstops|url=https://maxf1.net/en/2004-french-gp-schumacher-beats-alonso-with-four-pitstops/|access-date=10 September 2021|website=MAXF1net|language=en-US}}</ref> He subsequently announced he was joining [[Toyota Racing (Formula One team)|Toyota]] for the following year and in fact left Renault early,<ref>{{Cite web|date=16 August 2012|title=Trulli quits Renault|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/trulli-quits-renault-48970.html|access-date=10 September 2021|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref> driving the Toyota in the last two races of the 2004 season. Hoping to secure second place in the Constructors' Championship, Renault replaced Trulli with {{F1|1997}} World Champion [[Jacques Villeneuve]] for the final three races.<ref>{{Cite web|date=28 October 2004|title=Villeneuve: No regrets over Renault decision.|url=https://www.crash.net/f1/news/50538/1/villeneuve-no-regrets-over-renault-decision|access-date=10 September 2021|website=Crash|language=en}}</ref> However, Villeneuve – away from F1 racing for almost an entire season and struggling to acclimatise quickly to racing at the premier level – did not impress, and the team finished third behind Villeneuve's former team [[British American Racing|BAR]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=28 October 2004|title=Renault: Villeneuve signing was a mistake.|url=https://www.crash.net/f1/news/50537/1/renault-villeneuve-signing-was-a-mistake|access-date=10 September 2021|website=Crash|language=en}}</ref>