Lionel Koretzky

We’re three races into the 2017 Formula 1 season, and it’s a new era for the sport. The cars are wider, heavier, faster, and more powerful. Lap times are down—although perhaps not by the “five seconds a lap” margin some predicted—and for the first time since we moved back to V6 engines, Mercedes-AMG is no longer winning everything in sight. And with Ross Brawn running the technical side of the sport now, it’s likely we’ll get some even bigger changes in 2020 aimed at reducing costs and improving the racing. Looking even further ahead, Renault has some ideas about the future of the sport, unveiling its R.S. 2027 concept at this year’s Shanghai Auto Show.

The one megawatt race car

The R.S. 2027 is instantly recognizable as a Formula 1 car. It’s lighter than current machinery, at just 1,322lbs/600kg (rather than the current lardy 1,591lbs/722kg). It’s all-wheel drive, thanks to a pair of 250kW (335hp) motor/generator units, and there’s also a small-capacity turbocharged V6 providing an extra 670hp (500kW) to the rear wheels.