Editing Renault in Formula One (section)

==== Back to back double championship success (2005–2006) ====
[[File:Fernando Alonso 2005 Britain.jpg|left|thumb|[[Fernando Alonso]] driving for Renault at the [[2005 British Grand Prix]].]]
[[Giancarlo Fisichella]] was Trulli's replacement for the {{F1|2005}} season. He took advantage of a rain-affected qualifying session to win the first race of the season, the [[2005 Australian Grand Prix|Australian Grand Prix]]. [[Fernando Alonso]] then won the next three races to build a considerable lead in the Drivers' World Championship, thereby doing the same for Renault in the Constructors' Championship. Meanwhile, Fisichella failed to finish several races. After the [[2005 San Marino Grand Prix|San Marino Grand Prix]], Renault and Alonso's championship leads came under attack from a fast-but-fragile [[McLaren]]-[[Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains|Mercedes]] team and Kimi Räikkönen respectively for the Drivers' Championship. McLaren took the lead of the Constructors' World Championship by securing a one-two finish at the [[2005 Brazilian Grand Prix|Brazilian Grand Prix]], but that was to be the race in which Alonso secured the Drivers' title, becoming the youngest ever driver to do so. This achievement was followed by a win in [[2005 Chinese Grand Prix|China]] to secure the Constructors' World Championship for Renault after McLaren driver [[Juan Pablo Montoya]]'s car was badly damaged by a drain cover coming loose on the track. This broke [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]]'s six-year stranglehold on that title. It was the first time Renault had won the title as a manufacturer, and Renault became only the second French constructor (after the triumph of [[Equipe Matra Sports|Matra]] in {{F1|1969}}) and the first [[List of Formula One constructors#Team's nationality|French-licensed team]] to win the title.<ref>[[Jackie Stewart]] won the title in {{F1|1969}} with the [[Matra MS80]] car built by the French constructor Matra, but the car was entered by the British [[Privateer (motorsport)|privateer team]] [[Tyrrell Racing|Matra International]].</ref>

[[File:Renault RS26 engine 2006.jpg|thumb|right|The Renault team's {{F1|2006}} engine, the RS26. Renault's first [[V8 engine]] in Formula One.]]
[[File:2006 Malaysian Grand Prix.jpg|thumb|left|[[Giancarlo Fisichella]] won the [[2006 Malaysian Grand Prix]] for Renault.]]
[[Fernando Alonso]] and [[Giancarlo Fisichella]] were retained for 2006, while test driver [[Franck Montagny]] was replaced by [[Heikki Kovalainen]]. The team's 2006 contender, the R26 – featuring a seven-speed gearbox made of [[titanium]], was unveiled at a launch event on 31 January.

Alonso won the opening [[2006 Bahrain Grand Prix|Bahrain Grand Prix]] as well as the [[2006 Australian Grand Prix|Australian Grand Prix]] and finished second in [[2006 Malaysian Grand Prix|Malaysia]] behind teammate Fisichella to claim Renault's first one-two finish since [[René Arnoux]] and [[Alain Prost]] in 1982. Alonso took two more second places, and then wins at his home Grand Prix in [[2006 Spanish Grand Prix|Spain]], and at the [[2006 Monaco Grand Prix|Monaco Grand Prix]]. Fisichella took 8th, 6th and 3rd-place finishes in the [[2006 San Marino Grand Prix|San Marino Grand Prix]], [[2006 European Grand Prix|European Grand Prix]] and the [[2006 Spanish Grand Prix|Spanish Grand Prix]].

The team celebrated its 200th Grand Prix at Silverstone, which was won by Alonso. As the season progressed to its North American stint, Alonso won the [[2006 Canadian Grand Prix|Canadian Grand Prix]] in Montreal, Canada. At the [[2006 United States Grand Prix|U.S Grand Prix]], Ferrari had a distinct performance advantage over the whole weekend. However, Renault were the fastest of all the [[Michelin]] runners. Fisichella finished 3rd, while Alonso finished 5th.

[[File:Fernando Alonso 2006 Canada.jpg|thumb|left|[[Fernando Alonso]] on his way to victory at the [[2006 Canadian Grand Prix]].]]

At the [[2006 French Grand Prix|French Grand Prix]], Renault was expected to be faster than Ferrari, but Ferrari again had the advantage. Alonso ran third for most of the race, unable to challenge the Ferraris of Schumacher and Massa. However, a tactical switch to a two-stop strategy enabled him to pass Massa and finish second.

On 21 July 2006, the FIA banned the use of [[Tuned mass damper|mass damper]] systems, developed and first used by Renault and subsequently used by 7 other teams, including Ferrari. Flavio Briatore claimed that [[McLaren]] had raised the issue of the system's legality with the FIA.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Bishop | first = Matt | year = 2006 | title = The Long Interview: Flavio Briatore | journal=F1 Racing | issue = October | pages = 66–76}}</ref> The system used a spring-mounted mass in the nose cone to reduce the sensitivity of the car to vibration. This was particularly effective in corners and over kerbs to keep the tyres in closer contact to the track surface than they would otherwise be.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.pitpass.com/public/article.php?fes_art_id=28765|title=FIA bans controversial damper system|work=pitpass.com|publisher=Pitpass|date=21 July 2006|access-date=1 October 2010}}</ref> However race stewards at the [[2006 German Grand Prix|German Grand Prix]] deemed the system legal. The FIA announced its intention to appeal that decision and Renault announced they would not race with the system for fear of retrospective punishment if the appeal was upheld. Renault's performance at the German Grand Prix was one of their worst of the season; however, the team blamed blistering of their Michelin tyres rather than the loss of the mass damper system. The FIA International Court of Appeal met in Paris on 22 August 2006, to examine the appeal made by the FIA against the decision of the German Grand Prix stewards. The Court ruled that the use of the device known as a Tuned Mass Damper is an infringement of Article 3.15 of the Formula One Technical Regulations.

Points scored in the [[2006 Brazilian Grand Prix|Brazilian Grand Prix]] secured the Constructors' Championship for Renault in 2006.

On 16 October 2006, Renault announced that the Dutch banking giant [[ING Group|ING]] would replace [[Mild Seven]] as title sponsor for three years starting in {{F1|2007}}.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061016183914/http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=37725 ING replaces Mild Seven at Renault]. Retrieved 16 October 2006.</ref>