3D model preview
2011
Entered by the Renault constructor under the commercial Lotus Renault GP identity, the daring forward-exhaust R31 scored two early podiums in 2011.
Exhibit
Technical timeline
R31 · 2011
Interactive 3D model · Lotus Renault GP R31
Technical timeline
3D model preview
The viewer starts only on request to reduce data transfer and energy use.
Drag to rotate
Wheel or pinch to zoom
Full screen
Guided route
01
Instead of blowing the diffuser from the rear, Renault routed the exhausts forward beneath the sidepods to energise the floor farther upstream. The idea produced useful downforce in selected conditions but proved difficult to develop and exposed the car to heat-management and consistency problems.
02
Vitaly Petrov and Nick Heidfeld converted the car's early promise into podiums in Australia and Malaysia. The results later faded, yet the R31 remains a revealing example of the experimental freedom that preceded the tighter exhaust regulations.
Archive provenance
Lotus Renault GP R31
Sources & credits
Model correspondence
Related variant
The R31 replaces the unavailable R.S.18 as a verified Renault model from the same 2010–2019 technical era.
This non-official historical visualization uses Dave Love SketchFab's model under CC BY 4.0. Its geometry is the creator's reconstruction rather than an official scan; the displayed marks belong to their respective owners.