Return of F1's turbo-charged 'teapot'

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(CNN) -- The year is 1977 and the moment of truth is here. The high-tech car that will revolutionize Formula One racing is about to be revealed. Ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your hats and behold ... the "Yellow Teapot?"

When Renault revealed the first turbo-charged car -- called RS01 -- at the British Grand Prix in the 1970s, it instantly became the biggest laughing stock in the business.

The much-hyped design, years in the making, was the same garish yellow as the Beatles' famous submarine. It was unreliable and heavy. And to top it off, the vehicle appeared to be encased in a cloud of steam -- all of which earned it a decidedly un-speedy nickname.

"When Renault introduced the first turbo engine everybody was laughing -- especially in England," Alain Prost, four-time F1 champion and Renault driver throughout the early 1980s, told CNN.

"They were calling the car the 'yellow teapot' and nobody could believe that this was possible."

Return of turbo

Yet fast forward more than 35 years, and it will be French car manufacturer Renault having the last laugh, as the pioneering turbo engine makes a return to the international circuit.

From next year, all F1 cars will be required to have turbo engines, in a bid to be more environmentally friendly.

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While a standard engine is powered by a belt connected to the crankshaft, a turbo engine runs on its own exhaust steam, making it more energy efficient.

Turbo engines also tend to be slower taking off -- not ideal for F1 racing. But once in full flight, they maintain speed well, and today you'll often find turbo engines used in trains, trucks and construction equipment.

"The turbo engine was very different to other engines. You had more power -- more top-end power. But the weight of the car was much bigger," explained Prost.

"We were learning all the time. The team was getting more and more experienced and being very curious, working very close with the engineers, I really loved it."

A golden era

Much like the yellow teapot itself, turbo technology was slow to take off, but once it did, paved the way for an exciting new era in F1 racing.

It wasn't until 1979 -- two years after its launch -- that Renault's turbo-charged car finally won the French Grand Prix, driven by Jean-Pierre Jabouille.

Other F1 teams -- such as Ferrari, Honda and BMW -- followed suit. And as turbo development increased, the circuit was transformed into a rev-head's heaven, with showers of sparks and shredded tires from the gutsy new cars.

In the space of just five years, Renault had almost doubled its engine's horse power.

"As much as I loved experimenting with the new design, it was a very frustrating time too," said Prost. "We very often blew up the turbo, blew up the engine, but it was part of the time and I think everyone has accepted it.

"But the evolution you could see from 1981 to the end of the turbo in the late 1980s was huge."

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Taming the turbo

Indeed, throughout the 1980s, the powerful turbo was the F1 engine of choice, able to perform at high altitudes and grip onto steep angles.

But along with the impressive new flame-spitting exhausts, came safety concerns. The turbo engine was unreliable, and increased temperatures also increased the risk of fire.

After a raft of restrictions, the Formula One governing body, FIA, eventually banned the turbo engine in 1988 due to safety concerns.

21st century design

Almost four decades after Renault's turbo revved for the first time, engineers have revealed their new engine for the 21st century.

No longer will F1 circuits roar with the sound of standard 2.4-liter V8 engines -- referring to their eight cylinders. Instead, they'll be fitted with 1.6-liter V6 turbo-charged units, in line with the new F1 rules.

Each engine will also be restricted to 100 kilograms of fuel, in an effort to cut consumption by 35%.

Renault's new turbo engine, dubbed "Energy F1-2014, may have evolved since the early days of turbo technology, " but it still owes a debt to the engineers who revolutionized racing with the world's fastest "teapot."

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