Which Formula 1 driver recorded the first Grand Prix victory for Renault in 1979?

Jean-Pierre Jabouille recorded Renault’s first Formula 1 Grand Prix victory at the 1979 French Grand Prix.

Jabouille won at Dijon-Prenois on 1 July 1979, driving Renault’s turbocharged RS10. The victory was historic because it was Renault’s first Formula 1 win and the first championship Grand Prix victory for a turbocharged engine. Renault had entered Formula 1 in 1977 and endured early reliability problems before its turbo technology became competitive.

The race also featured a famous battle for second between Renault’s René Arnoux and Ferrari’s Gilles Villeneuve, although Jabouille finished well clear at the front. His victory validated Renault’s long-term turbocharged approach and helped influence the technical direction of Formula 1 in the 1980s.

Jabouille’s win is sometimes attributed to Arnoux because Arnoux was Renault’s other leading driver and later won races for the team. However, Jabouille was the driver who delivered Renault’s breakthrough victory.