Formula 1: The Turbo Revolution and Renault’s Yellow Teapot

After the successes of the supercharged Alfa Romeo engines that won the World Championships in 1950 and 1951, although the regulations allowed an alternative with naturally aspirated engines, no constructor had attempted that path again. It was only toward the end of the 1970s that a clause in the existing regulations—allowing the use of a 1500 cc supercharged engine as an alternative to the 3000 cc naturally aspirated unit—finally became reality thanks to Renault.