Team Profile

Benetton Renault.

Four Drivers’ Championships from one factory under two names — Michael Schumacher’s first two, and Fernando Alonso’s only two.

The Enstone team raced as Benetton from 1986 to 2001 and as Renault from 2002. It became Alpine for 2021.

Base
Enstone, Oxfordshire, England
As Benetton
1986—2001
As Renault
2002—2011 and 2016—2020
Became
Alpine, for 2021
Titles
4 Drivers' · 3 Constructors'
Read the full history
4
Drivers' Titles
Schumacher 1994—95 · Alonso 2005—06
3
Constructors' Titles
Benetton 1995 · Renault 2005 and 2006
1986
First Race
As Benetton, in Brazil
2020
Final Race
As Renault, in Abu Dhabi
Drivers' title years
1994 1995 2005 2006
Overview

What Was Benetton / Renault?

One factory, several names. The team began as Benetton Formula in 1986, running from Witney and then, from 1992, from Enstone in Oxfordshire. Renault bought it before the 2000 season, kept the Benetton name through 2001, and rebranded it Renault F1 Team for 2002.

Its championships came in two bursts. Michael Schumacher won the Drivers’ Championship in 1994 and again in 1995, when Benetton also took its only Constructors’ Championship. A decade later Fernando Alonso won back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006, and Renault took the constructors’ crown both years.

Benetton entered 260 races and won 27. Renault’s own record spans a works team at Viry-Chatillon in the late 1970s as well as the Enstone years, so the two are counted separately here rather than added together. The Enstone team raced under the Lotus name from 2012 to 2015, returned to Renault in 2016, and became Alpine for 2021.

Era 01 · 1986—1993

Benetton Arrives

The Benetton clothing family took over the Toleman entry for 1986 and won a race in its first season, Gerhard Berger taking the Mexican Grand Prix. The team ran from Witney until 1991 and moved to Enstone in 1992.

Michael Schumacher arrived in 1991 and took his first Formula One victory the following year. The green and blue Benetton was not yet a title contender, but it was quick and it was getting quicker.

Benetton Renault F1 B186 green racing car with a mechanic working on the engine bay during the 1986 season Benetton B186 · a win in year one
Era 02 · 1994—2001

Schumacher, Twice

Schumacher won the Drivers' Championship in the B194 in 1994, although Williams took the Constructors' title that year. In 1995 he won again in the B195 and Benetton took the constructors' crown as well — the only one in the team's history.

Schumacher left for Ferrari for 1996. Renault bought the team before the 2000 season and kept the Benetton name for two more years; the last race under it was the 2001 Japanese Grand Prix.

Benetton Renault F1 B195 racing car driven by Johnny Herbert in Mild Seven livery at the 1995 British Grand Prix Benetton B195 · both titles
Era 03 · 2002—2020

Renault, Alonso and After

Rebranded Renault F1 Team for 2002, the Enstone squad built the R25 and R26 and Fernando Alonso won the Drivers' Championship in both 2005 and 2006, with Renault taking the constructors' title each year.

The team raced as Lotus from 2012 to 2015, returned to the Renault name in 2016, and contested its last race under it at the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix before becoming Alpine.

Benetton Renault F1 R26 blue and yellow racing car prepared in the team garage during the 2006 season Renault R26 · the second double
Team Timeline

Enstone in Formula One

1986

Benetton's First Race

The team debuts in Brazil and Gerhard Berger wins in Mexico the same season.

1991

Schumacher Signs

Michael Schumacher joins Benetton in his first Formula One season.

1992

Move to Enstone

The team relocates from Witney to Enstone, where it still is.

1992

Schumacher's First Win

His maiden Grand Prix victory comes in a Benetton.

1994

First Drivers' Title

Schumacher takes the championship in the B194; Williams win the constructors'.

1995

The Double

Schumacher wins again in the B195 and Benetton takes its only Constructors' Championship.

1996

Schumacher Leaves

He moves to Ferrari.

2000

Renault Buys the Team

Renault purchases the team but keeps the Benetton name.

2002

Renault F1 Team

The squad is fully rebranded for the 2002 season.

2005

Alonso Champion

Fernando Alonso wins the Drivers' Championship in the R25 and Renault takes the constructors' title.

2006

Alonso Again

A second double for Alonso and Renault, with the R26.

2012

The Lotus Years

The Enstone team races as Lotus F1 Team through 2015.

2016

Renault Returns

The Renault name comes back to Enstone.

2020

Last Race as Renault

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is the team's final race before it becomes Alpine.

By the Numbers

Drivers' Championship Record

Every season an Enstone driver won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, the car that did it, and whether the team took the Constructors' title the same year.
Season,Car,Drivers' Champion,Both Titles Car Drivers' champion Double
1994 Benetton B194 Michael Schumacher Drivers' only
1995 Benetton B195 Michael Schumacher Double
2005 Renault R25 Fernando Alonso Double
2006 Renault R26 Fernando Alonso Double

This table lists drivers' title seasons because the team won four of those and three constructors'. In 1994 Schumacher took the drivers' championship while Williams won the constructors'; the other three seasons were doubles. Career totals for the Benetton and Renault names are given separately in the facts panel rather than added, because Renault's own Formula One record also covers a works team based at Viry-Chatillon in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Figures verified 14 August 2026.

Sources

  1. Benetton Formula · Wikipedia — figures read from the infobox, the 1986 first win and the Renault takeover
  2. Renault in Formula One · Wikipedia — championship years and the Enstone spells
  3. 20 years on: Alonso's first F1 title win with Renault · Formula1.com — September 2025, source of the quote
  4. Photo — Benetton B186 of Gerhard Berger · Yu Chu Chin via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped and resized
  5. Photo — Benetton B194 · Morio via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped and resized
  6. Photo — Benetton B195 (1995) · Calreyn88 via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped and resized
  7. Photo — Renault R25 · Morio via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped and resized
  8. Photo — Renault R26 · Morio via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped and resized
  9. Photo — Renault R.S.20, 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix · Eustace Bagge via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped and resized
  10. Photo — Benetton B186 being worked on · Yu Chu Chin via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped and resized
  11. Photo — Benetton B195 at the 1995 British Grand Prix · Martin Lee from London, UK via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 · cropped and resized
  12. Photo — Renault R26 in the garage, 2006 United States Grand Prix · Ryosuke Yagi via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · cropped and resized
  13. Photo — Benetton Formula 1 car on track (2000) · Erikrost22, via Wikimedia Commons via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped and resized
Machinery

Six Cars That Made Enstone

1986 Gerhard Berger's green Benetton B186 Formula One car, side view

Benetton B186

The first car under the Benetton name, and a winner in the team's debut season — Gerhard Berger took the Mexican Grand Prix.

1994 Benetton B194 in green, blue and yellow Mild Seven livery, front three-quarter view

Benetton B194

Michael Schumacher's first Drivers' Championship. Williams took the constructors' title that year, so the B194 won only half the double.

1995 Benetton B195 in blue and yellow Mild Seven livery on display

Benetton B195

Both titles. Schumacher won the drivers' championship again and Benetton took the only Constructors' Championship in its history.

2005 Renault R25 in blue and yellow, front three-quarter view on museum display

Renault R25

Fernando Alonso's first title, and Renault's first constructors' crown — the season the Enstone team went back to the top.

2006 Renault R26 in blue and yellow, front three-quarter view on museum display

Renault R26

A second double for Alonso and Renault, and the last championship the factory has won under any name.

2020 Daniel Ricciardo driving the black and yellow Renault R.S.20 at the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix

Renault R.S.20

The last car to race under the Renault name before the team became Alpine for 2021.

Champions at Enstone
MS
Michael Schumacher
1994 and 1995 Champion
 FA
Fernando Alonso
2005 and 2006 Champion
GB
Gerhard Berger
1986—1987
JB
Jenson Button
2001
DR
Daniel Ricciardo
2019—2020
On the R25
“We put the car on the ground at the shakedown and it was amazing straight away – really quick, really easy to drive.”
Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault driver, on the R25's first run, recalled in 2025
Frequently Asked

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Benetton and Renault the same team?
Yes. The same Enstone factory raced as Benetton from 1986 to 2001 and as Renault from 2002. Renault bought the team before the 2000 season and rebranded it two years later.
How many championships did the team win?
Four Drivers' Championships — Michael Schumacher in 1994 and 1995, Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006 — and three Constructors' Championships, in 1995, 2005 and 2006.
Why did Benetton not win the constructors' title in 1994?
Williams won it that year. Schumacher took the drivers' championship, so 1994 was a drivers'-only season for the team.
What happened to the team?
It became Alpine for the 2021 season and still races from Enstone.
What was the team's first win?
The 1986 Mexican Grand Prix, in its debut season, with Gerhard Berger driving.
Did the team ever race under another name?
Yes. Between the two Renault spells it raced as Lotus F1 Team from 2012 to 2015 — a different constructor from Colin Chapman's Team Lotus.
Which cars won the titles?
The Benetton B194 in 1994 and B195 in 1995, and the Renault R25 in 2005 and R26 in 2006.
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