Historymaking Pikes Peak Renault Sport R.S. 01 to attack the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

• Valentin Simonet to run Renault Sport R.S. 01 at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed
• Appearance follows landmark Pikes Peak International Hill Climb result, where Simonet became the first driver to take a Renault to the summit

• Renault Sport R.S. 01 arrives at Goodwood in full Pikes Peak specification, producing 620 hp and wearing a dramatic livery inspired by the Renault Maxi 5 Turbo Superproduction
• Appearance adds another chapter to Renault’s Goodwood celebration of performance history, from famous motorsport icons to the all-electric Renault 5 Turbo 3E The first Renault ever to reach the summit of Pikes Peak – one of motorsport’s most demanding competitions – will take on the Goodwood Festival of Speed hillclimb next week, as Valentin Simonet brings his history-making Renault Sport R.S. 01 from the mountains of Colorado to the Downs of West Sussex.

Simonet’s run at the 2026 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb was a landmark moment for Renault. Competing in the fearsome Pikes Peak Open category, he finished third in class, second-best rookie and 13th overall from 73 competitors, setting a time of 9:59.9. Breaking the 10-minute barrier is a major achievement at Pikes Peak, where the 12.42-mile course climbs through 156 corners to more than 14,000 feet, pushing drivers, cars and engineering to the limit. At Goodwood, Simonet will take on the timed shootout in the Renault Sport R.S. 01, the spectacular mid-engined race car originally created for the Renault Sport Trophy. Already one of the fastest GT cars ever made, the R.S. 01 has been developed by Simonet, his team and an Alpine Cars engineer for the unique demands of Pikes Peak, with its 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 producing 620 hp in mountain specification.

Weighing in at only 1,150 kg, the car features a new Garrett G25 turbo and a revised engine map designed to cope with the altitude of the Colorado mountain. For Goodwood, it will run in the a Renault Maxi 5 Turbo Superproduction-inspired livery.

Simonet’s appearance adds another live, competitive element to Renault’s Festival of Speed showcase. On the hill and on the Renault stand, the brand’s line-up already stretches from the pioneering Renault RS10 Formula 1 car and the championship-winning Renault R25, to the 1985 Tour de Corse-winning Renault Maxi 5 Turbo and its radical electric successor, Renault 5 Turbo 3E.

The Renault Sport R.S. 01 now joins that story as a very different kind of performance icon: rare, extreme, unmistakably Renault, and still proving what it can do against the clock.

Valentin Simonet said: ‘Taking Renault to Pikes Peak for the first time was already an incredible adventure, but to bring the R.S. 01 to Goodwood so soon afterwards is something special. This car has been transformed for one of the toughest hillclimbs in the world, and now we get to share it with the fans at one of the greatest celebrations of motorsport. Goodwood is all about passion, noise, speed and history, and I cannot wait to run the Renault Sport R.S. 01 up the hill.’

Frenchman Simonet began his career in 2010 in the World Series by Renault F4 Eurocup before going on to compete across GT, prototype and endurance racing. Since 2022, he has also built a major following through his online video content highlighting his competition exploits, taking fans behind the scenes of some of motorsport’s most exciting challenges.

The 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place from Thursday 9th to Sunday 12th July, set against the spectacular backdrop of Goodwood House in West Sussex.
Photo credit: Renault
Posted on Autotech-plus.com

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