ren2.jpg (5897 bytes)The 1906 version of the Renault Grand Prix car became famous when it won the first French Grand Prix. The races was held at the Circuit de Sarthe near Le Mans and covered 1200 km (777 miles) over two days. The cars were built under a new formula that called for a maximum weight of 1000 kg. Three cars could be entered by each manufacturer, operated by a crew of two, both were permitted to drive. Fuel consumption was limited to 30 liters/100 km. Renault's shaft driven car was not the most advanced car entered but it had two distinct advantages. One was the first use of hydraulic dampers on a race car and the second more important advantage was the adoption of rear wheels with removable rims. The new rims allowed two people the ability to change both rear wheels in less than 4 minutes as opposed to the 16 minutes required by fixed rims. Ferenc Szisz, a native of Hungary, was Renault's chief test driver. During the race he had to stop nine-times due to tire punctures yet because of the removable rims he was able to finish exhausted but thirty-two minutes ahead of the second place Nazzaro in a Fiat.